One beautiful thing about American whiskey these days is the seemingly never-ending parade of exciting and unpredictable innovations, collaborations, and creative presentations.
This month we are seeing a little bit of everything from whiskey houses around the United States. Here are some exciting American whiskey offerings in distinctly different styles worth checking out.
George Dickel Bottled in Bond
Vitals: Proof: 100 Prof (50% ABV); $45
Presented by Cascade Hollow’s Nicole Austin, the George Dickel Fall 2022 Bottled-in-Bond release is a 13-year-old single-season bottling distilled at its Tullahoma, Tennessee distillery in 2008. Charcoal filtered and bottled at 100 proof, the gentle $45 price on this extra aged offering makes it currently one of the best values on the whisky scene.
How Does It Taste?
Expect bright cherry aromas mingling with cedar and almond. The palate features bold signature fruit and nut-driven flavors held together by a structured finish showcasing the Tennessee whisky’s age with a pop of oak.
Kentucky Owl Takumi Edition Bourbon Whiskey
Vitals: Proof: 100 Prof (50% ABV); $150
Takumi Edition is a collaborative effort between Kentucky Owl’s Master Blender and former COO of Four Roses John Rhea and Yusuke Yahisa of Nagahama, a distillery perhaps best known for being the smallest in Japan. To strike upon this expression, Rhea selected four bourbons of various mashbills aged between 4-13 years. These expressions were blended by Yahisa, an up-and-comer on the world whisky stage.
“This collaboration encompasses not just the art of blending, but the flavors and taste profiles that both countries are famous for in their whiskeys,” said Rhea. “As someone who has worked in the industry for several decades now, it was exciting for me to work with a rising star in whisky with a unique perspective.”
How Does It Taste?
Spicy rye bread mingles with caramel and a touch of fruit. On the palate, expect a mingling of more rye and caramel combined with cinnamon, apple, and pear.
Filmland Spirits: Moonlight Mayhem! Bourbon; Moonlight Mayhem! Extended Cut Cask Strength Bourbon and Ryes of the Robots
Vitals: Moonlight Mayhem!: 94 Proof (47% ABV); $55; Moonlight Mayhem! Extended Cut: 115 Proof (57.5% ABV) $80; Ryes of the Robots: 94 Proof (47% ABV); $60
Filmland Spirits is a brand new whiskey house dedicated to bringing together Hollywood imagery and fine American whiskeys. The result is this fun collection of whiskeys that would indeed look cool on any back bar. But we all know what’s in the bottle is most important, and Filmland’s trio of expressions does not disappoint. The first in the series is Moonlight Mayhem!, a four-year-old whiskey made from 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley before aging at least four years and bottled at 94 proof. The Mayhem Extended Cut is a cask-strength version of the same bourbon, and the rye is a 95% rye mash distilled in Kentucky and aged over four years.
How Does It Taste?
Moonlight Mayhem! Features a cherry and citrus on the nose, leading to classic vanilla and caramel flavors capped by an oak and toffee finish. Moonlight Mayhem! Extended Cut features amplified cherry with chocolate aromas that carry through to the palate with a lush mouthfeel that concludes with leather and cacao. ; Ryes of the Robots takes a much different direction with a spicy cinnamon and clove nose, followed by a minty, herbal palate with a touch of peppery spice.
Rogue Dead Guy Stout Cask and Dead Guy Wine Cask Finished
Vitals: Stout Cask: 97 proof (48.5% ABV); $80; Wine Cask: 92 Proof (47% ABV); $65
While Rogue is best known for its craft beers, the Oregon-based brewer and distiller have been distilling since 2003 and began laying down what would become Dead Guy American Single Malt in 2006. This month, Rogue expanded its portfolio by rebranding its Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey plus the debut of its latest, a local wine cask finished expression. Steven Garrett, Rogue’s VP of Business Development, explains the new additions to the whiskey lineup.
“Fifteen years after we first bottled Dead Guy Whiskey, we are thrilled to expand our American Single Malt portfolio,” says Steven Garrett, VP of Business Development. “For our Wine Cask Finished expression, we sourced freshly dumped wine barrels from the reputable King Estate Winery in Eugene, Oregon. “The Stout Cask Finished is so uniquely Rogue, utilizing barrels we make by hand at our onsite cooperage that previously aged a stout beer that we brewed at our brewery.”
How Does It Taste?
The Stout Cask Finish Dark is rich in coffee, cocoa, and nougat. At the same time, the Wine Cask expression heads in a different direction, featuring extensive fruit notes like a dark plum mingling with tobacco and spicy peppercorn.
Woodinville Moscatel Finished Straight Bourbon
Vitals: Proof: 100 Prof (50% ABV); $100
After a successful distillery-only launch at Woodinville Whiskey Company, the Washington-based company launched its Moscatel Finished Straight Bourbon this month in 23 markets around the United States. To create this limited edition, fully aged bourbon is finished in 200-gallon Portuguese Moscatel de Setúbal casks, a fortified wine produced on the Setúbal Peninsula. The expression was met with great buzz, being named one of the “Best New American Double-Barrel Whiskies of 2021” by Maxim. And we here at Barleycorndrnks.com agree.
How Does It Taste?
This fortified wine barrel finish on Woodinville's flagship whiskey lends dried apricot and orange peel flavors to the whiskey's signature crème brûlée, spice, vanilla, and caramel notes. The conclusion is long and sweet.
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