Orphan Barrel Copper Tongue 16 Year Bourbon 750ML

Orphan Barrel Copper Tongue 16 Year Bourbon 750ML is a cask-strength bourbon aged sixteen years at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in Tullahoma, Tennessee, bottled at 44.9% ABV (89.8 proof). It earned 93 points from WhiskyCast and stands out as one of the more unusual Orphan Barrel releases—a bourbon distilled and aged entirely in Tennessee's distinctive single-story rickhouses, emerging at a remarkably gentle proof for a cask-strength whiskey.

Quick Facts: ABV: 44.9%  |  Origin: Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA  |  Age: 16 Years  |  Distillery: Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. (George Dickel)

Production & Heritage

Copper Tongue is part of Diageo's Orphan Barrel series, which curates forgotten or overlooked barrels from various American distilleries. This expression is a blend of two separate 16-year-old lots of bourbon distilled at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.—the same facility that produces George Dickel whiskey—and was originally barreled at 57.5% ABV, notably lower than the industry-standard 62.5% entry proof. The liquid matured in Cascade Hollow's single-story rickhouses, a design inspired by traditional Scottish barrel storage that is rare among American distilleries. Because single-story warehouses expose barrels to more uniform temperature conditions than tall multi-story rickhouses, the spirit lost significant proof over its sixteen years, yielding a cask-strength bottling at just 44.9% ABV—a figure that speaks to the gentle, prolonged interaction between wood and whiskey in those unique aging conditions.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with Almond Roca candy and rich caramel before shifting into layers of brown sugar, vanilla, and orange marmalade. Dried flowers and a hint of clove add complexity underneath the sweetness.

Taste: On the palate, brown sugar and cinnamon arrive first, followed by a mid-palate wave of red fruit and ripe melon. Bananas Foster and candied citrus develop as the bourbon opens up, while a juicy cedar and wood character provides backbone. Leather and clove round out the mid-palate, giving the whiskey a sense of age without excessive oak dominance.

Finish: The finish is warm and sweet, with lingering spice notes—cinnamon and clove—fading slowly into cedar and a trace of dried orange peel. It carries moderate length with a soft, velvety texture that reflects the lower proof.

How to Drink Copper Tongue

At 44.9% ABV, Copper Tongue is already approachable neat and rarely needs water or ice, though a single cube can further soften the oak tannins and amplify the fruit and citrus notes. For cocktail use, the whiskey's brown sugar sweetness and cedar undertones make it a natural fit in several classic preparations. An Old Fashioned benefits from Copper Tongue's caramel depth, which harmonizes beautifully with bitters and a sugar cube. A Boulevardier gains an extra dimension of dried fruit and spice that balances the Campari's bitterness. A Whiskey Sour lets the citrus and melon notes in Copper Tongue shine against fresh lemon juice.

Best For

• Gifting an Orphan Barrel collector or bourbon enthusiast seeking limited releases
• Side-by-side tastings comparing Tennessee-aged bourbon against Kentucky-aged expressions
• After-dinner sipping where gentle proof and dessert-like sweetness suit the moment
• Adding a rare, age-stated bottle to a home whiskey library

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Copper Tongue taste like? Copper Tongue leads with brown sugar, caramel, and cinnamon, followed by red fruit, melon, and a distinctive cedar-wood character. The overall impression is warm and sweet with moderate spice and a soft, approachable texture.

How does Copper Tongue compare to George Dickel Bottled in Bond? Both are produced at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. and share the influence of single-story rickhouse aging, but Copper Tongue carries significantly more age at 16 years versus the Dickel BiB's younger profile, resulting in deeper wood influence, more developed dried fruit notes, and a softer proof. Dickel Bottled in Bond, at 100 proof, delivers a bolder, more grain-forward punch at a more accessible price point.

Is Copper Tongue good for sipping neat? Yes—its 44.9% ABV is unusually gentle for a cask-strength bourbon, making it one of the most approachable neat-sipping options in the Orphan Barrel lineup. The sixteen years of aging contribute enough complexity to reward slow, unhurried drinking.

Where is Copper Tongue made? Copper Tongue was distilled and aged at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in Tullahoma, Tennessee, a facility situated at the base of the Cumberland Plateau that has been producing whiskey since 1878. Despite being made in Tennessee, it is classified as bourbon rather than Tennessee whiskey.

What foods pair well with Copper Tongue? Pecan pie complements the brown sugar and caramel notes directly. Dark chocolate truffles echo the clove and cinnamon spice. Smoked pork belly mirrors the leather and cedar undertones. Baked apples with cinnamon play off the fruit and spice character. Aged Gouda provides a savory, nutty counterpoint to the whiskey's sweetness.

What sizes does Copper Tongue come in? Copper Tongue is released in the standard 750ml bottle size, consistent with other Orphan Barrel expressions.

Is Copper Tongue worth the price? Copper Tongue positions as a premium, limited-release bourbon within the Orphan Barrel series, and its 16-year age statement, cask-strength bottling, and unique single-story rickhouse provenance place it in a competitive tier among aged American whiskeys. For collectors and enthusiasts who value distinctive aging narratives and verifiable age, it represents solid value relative to comparable ultra-aged bourbons.

Why Copper Tongue?

What separates Copper Tongue from most aged bourbons on the market is its aging environment. Cascade Hollow's single-story rickhouses—an anomaly in American whiskey production—create conditions that allowed this bourbon to sit for sixteen years without becoming over-oaked or excessively tannic, a common pitfall with long-aged bourbon in hotter, upper-floor warehouse positions. The result is a cask-strength whiskey that drinks far below what its age would suggest in terms of proof, landing at a remarkably soft 44.9% ABV. Its 93-point score from WhiskyCast validates the quality, and the Orphan Barrel program's limited-run nature means production will not be repeated. For anyone interested in how environment shapes bourbon as much as recipe does, Copper Tongue is a compelling case study in a glass.