WHY:Theres an undeniable link between Bourbon and the military, andmany of the most famous names in American whiskey were soldiers before they were whiskey makers: George T. Stagg, Weller, Handy, and Whistlepig’s Dave Pickerall, to name a few. Horse Soldiers Bourbon was started by two former Green Berets who wanted to continue this legacy, creating two mash bill recipes to satiate their broad love of the genre. The Barrel Strength expression is made with the wheated recipe, like Pappy and Maker’s Mark, and brings the sweet, creamy, baking-spice-laden profile one would expect.

HOW:Horse Solder Barrel Strength Bourbon is made in Columbus, Ohio from a wheated Bourbon recipe of 70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% barley. At roughly five years of age, itbrings huge waves of vanilla, cinnamon, clove, and pepper as it lights up the palate and sends the taste buds into overdrive.

WHAT:Horse Soldiers was founded by ex-Green Berets John Koko and Scott Neil.Scott in particular was part of the original team of ninety soldiers sent into Afghanistan after 9/11 to fight the Taliban and Al Queda; the same mission that was recently turned into a film called 12 Strong with Chris Hemsworth. They called the brand Horse Soldiers because the Green Berets and Mujahideen fighters overran the Taliban tanks on horseback. While the Bourbon is currently made in conjunction with Middle West Spirits, Horse Soldiers has purchased an estate in Somerset, Kentucky, whereit’s currently building a distillery. A portion of all sales goes back to charity.