Pre-mixed cocktails are something that distilleries are increasingly putting out on the market, and the folks at Treaty Oak are no different. While these bottles are sometimes a bit questionable, I’ve been out to the Treaty Oak facility more times than I can remember, and their cocktails have always been amazing. I felt pretty confident they wouldn’t disappoint, so today we’re giving one a try: their Peach Julep Cocktail.
Advertisment
History
The fourth oldest distillery currently operating in Texas, Treaty Oak Distillery was opened in 2006 by Daniel Barnes. Born in West Texas and a sommelier by trade, Barnes and his co-founder / father-in-law Bruce Graham decided (over a glass or two of whiskey) to open a distillery in the Austin, Texas area.
Named after the infamous oak tree under which Stephen Austin signed the document detailing the borders of the Republic of Texas, the distillery was founded just south of the city of Austin in Dripping Springs. Like many other craft distilleries, the Treaty Oak Distillery started with spirits that didn’t require aging like rum and gin, but they eventually expanded their facility to allow for the production of aged spirits.
Treaty Oak says that they try to emphasize locally sourced ingredients, including the grain and citrus used in their spirits.
Product
This is a combination of Treaty Oak’s bourbon whiskey with some peachy julep components, all ready to drink in a glass.
Their bourbon is made with locally produced grains and locally distilled in Dripping Springs, TX. As you would expect from a bourbon, 57% of the grain bill in this spirit comes from locally sourced Texas yellow corn. For the remainder, 11% is a common and expected barley, but a surprisingly large proportion (32%) comes from Texas-grown wheat. This is similar to the wheat-forward grain bill used in spirits like the famous Pappy Van Winkle. All of the grains are cooked, fermented, and distilled on-site in Dripping Springs.
Once distilled, the spirit is aged for two years and ten months in charred American white oak barrels that were manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky.
After maturation, that bourbon is combined with cane sugar, mint, and a heavy helping of peaches to produce the ready-to-drink cocktail that you see here.
Packaging
The folks at Treaty Oak tend to spare no expense when it comes to the packaging, which, as always, results in a bottle that really stands out on the shelf.
Starting with a squared off body, the bottle is tall and thin with straight walls. A sharp-yet-rounded shoulder transitions to a short, round neck. Something that has been upgraded recently is that the cap has changed from a screw-on plastic version to a metal cap, which gives it a more rustic feeling than their previous editions.
The label is consistent with their other whiskey styles, sporting an angled aesthetic that (especially combined with the bottle shape) makes it hard to miss. The diagonal slant on the label is something that not many other distilleries are doing and gives it a distinct character. Thanks in part to that slanted label, there’s still plenty of space on the face of the bottle for the whiskey to shine through, which is something I appreciate, especially with the company logo embossed on the back of the bottle and visible through the unobscured section. The color of the label changes based on the line of spirits in the bottle, and this version’s label sports a black background with white lettering that makes it distinct from their other editions.
I appreciate a good, well thought out design. And this definitely qualifies as such.
Flavor
As with all pre-made cocktails, we follow the directions on the bottle and test it accordingly. In this case, that means simply pouring this on the rocks and enjoying it chilled.
Sure enough, this is absolutely delicious and just as good as the cocktails that I get when I visit their Dripping Springs facility. It tastes exactly like a good mint julep — there’s plenty of cane sugar sweetness and minty goodness to create an interesting flavor profile when combined with the caramels and vanillas from the bourbon — but the additional peach flavor makes this much more interesting.
One thing I’m missing is that I’m not really getting much of the underlying bourbon coming through. I see hints from the caramel and vanilla components in the flavor, but the mixers are the stars of the show in this case. The bourbon is just along for the ride. I’d like to see it come out from behind the scenes a bit more, but this is still delicious even without that.
Advertisment
Overall Rating
Leave it to Treaty Oak to come up with a delicious pre-mixed cocktail. This is a fantastic twist on an old classic, adding some true Texas vibes to make it their own. The peach flavor is present and prominent without being overpowering, which is a feat in and of itself, and the whole package really makes for something that I would happily sip all afternoon long.
| Treaty Oak Peach Julep Cocktail Produced By: Treaty Oak Production Location: Texas, United StatesClassification: Ready-To-Drink Cocktail Aging: No Age Statement (NAS) Proof: 30% ABV Price: $27.99 / 750 ml Overall Rating:   |
Overall Rating: 4/5
A peachy-keen cocktail to keep you company, made with Texas whiskey and Texas flavors.
Advertisment