The return of American whiskies on WF


December 17, 2024

The return of American whiskies on WF

There are plenty of small distilleries doing wonderful things, and it seems, according to our excellent friends over at WhiskyCast, that the designation ‘American Single Malt’ is starting to be more regulated. Let’s see what we’ve got, in no particular order (Elon Musk doesn’t have a distillery yet, does he?).

Michter’s ‘Toasted Barrel Finish’ (45.7%, OB, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, batch #124H2818, 2024)

Finished for 18 months in a toasted (not charred) barrel, so we can indeed expect a fair dose of spices. Colour: deep gold. Nose: rye upfront, gingerbread, toffee, fruit jellies, a hint of geranium, and those speculoos biscuits we often find with these finishes. I’ll admit I’m not well-versed in the use of fresh double wood, but this doesn’t seem too ‘over the top’. Mouth: the wood’s definitely doing the heavy lifting here, with sweet spices, stollen cake, dried raisins, ginger, and a faint undercurrent of bittersweet liquorice wood, which is quite typical. Very cask-driven, but we saw that coming. Finish: long and thick, full of molasses, demerara sugar, speculoos again, and yet more astronomical amounts of liquorice wood… even a touch of glue sneaking in towards the end. Comments: far from Michter’s 10 yo ‘Kentucky Straight Rye’ that I adored back in September (WF 88), but I’m sure this style has its fans.
SGP:471 - 78 points.

Daddy Rack (40%, OB, Straight Tennessee Whiskey, +/-2024)

I believe some Scottish friends should launch a brand called ‘Doctor Dunnage’, just saying. Colour: gold. Nose: very soft and, dare I say, pleasant, with ripe gooseberries, sweet maize cream, vanilla fudge, and a touch of white chocolate. There’s even a hint of crystallised strawberries or something in that ballpark. Offending no one, which, let’s face it, is a real advantage these days. Mouth: not quite on the same level as the nose, with more wood and caramel, a few little biscuits, and that rather typical lavender and pepper combo. Light but not weak. Finish: fairly short, a bit on the sawdust, and once again, some liquorice wood. Comments: this works for me! I even think it’s got a bit more presence than some other entry-level Tennessee whiskeys we all know well (JD, GD).
SGP:551 - 78 points.

About Tennessee…

Tennessee Bourbon 8 yo 2016/2024 (53.2%, The Liquid Crew by W.D.C., straight bourbon whiskey)

Colour: gold. Nose: very unusual, with scented talc, bitter oranges, a mothball or two, violet liquorice, rye bread, and pumpernickel… surprising and really lovely, I must say. With water: that cologne-like side returns, but it doesn’t feel out of place at all. There’s also Panettone, which feels very seasonal. Mouth: a mix of slightly bitter orange juice and ginger wine to start, then those breads we mentioned earlier. A touch of pencil shavings and a hint of juniper gin (all gins have juniper, no?). With water: it softens, almost becomes gentle, but holds the water beautifully. Buckwheat. Finish: medium length, on similar notes, slightly peppery with a very faintly drying aftertaste. Comments: I’m stepping a little outside my usual comfort zones here, but I really enjoy this sort of big gin aged in oak. Generally speaking, these batches are said to come from G. Dickel.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

FEW 7 yo (46.5%, OB, Straight Rye Whiskey, Sauternes barrel finish, LMDW Foundations, 2024)

Here’s a proper ‘Illinois bandit’. American rye in Sauternes casks, that’s quite the bold move, though Sauternes does seem to be tussling with mizunara these days (though isn’t mizunara already feeling a bit 2023?). Colour: red amber. Nose: full-on glue, wood varnish and even a bit of acetone – all aromas we’re rather fond of – then speculoos biscuits and Christmas gingerbread. Perhaps a touch of dried apricot courtesy of the Sauternes, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly. A lovely nose that doesn’t lean too heavily on this rather improbable finish. Mouth: here the sweet, fruity side makes itself known, much more so than with a typical straight rye. Loads of apricot and mirabelle jam spread over a nice slice of rye bread, with touches of grenadine and eucalyptus sweets. Finish: long, creamy, and fruity, though it heads back towards rye bread and black pepper towards the end. Comments: this is fun, and it’s even very good, although a touch sweet for my taste. At this rate, the châteaux of Sauternais may soon end up as barrel finishers, much like those bodegas in Andalusia.
SGP:761 - 83 points.

Wild Turkey ‘Master’s Keep Unforgotten’ (52.5%, OB, bourbon, 2022)

A blend of Wild Turkey’s rye whiskey (8 and 9 yo) and bourbon (13 yo), finished in rye casks – which does sound like a bit much, doesn’t it? There’s quite the story behind this one, but let’s crack on… Colour: gold. Nose: very soft, all about cakes and gentle spices, then irises, broom flowers, prairie honey, and ginger cookies. Really very kind and charming. With water: even softer and more alluring, Danish pastries and touches of beeswax coming through, plus a little lavender, as is often the case. Mouth (neat): still very gentle but with a lovely structure, full of yellow fruit jams, a hint of cinnamon and ginger, some raisins, and even a bit of lemon tart (meringue included, if you please). Really quite lovely, I must say. With water: the soft spices take the lead here – cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg. Finish: medium length, with the wood starting to assert itself a little more, though still within acceptable limits. Comments: all in all, I think this is very, very good stuff.
SGP:661 - 87 points.

Wild Turkey ‘Master’s Keep Voyage’ (53%, OB, bourbon, 2023)

Ouch, this time it’s finished in Jamaican rum casks from Appleton (Wild Turkey and Appleton both belong to Campari these days). Bourbon -> rum -> bourbon -> rum -> bourbon… could this be barrel perpetual motion? Appleton’s lovely stuff, though much softer compared to HD, WP, NY or MM, so this should slide through without much fuss. Colour: deep gold. Nose: actually drier than the Unforgotten, with notes of chocolate, burnt wood, a few tiny hints of sweet brine (ah!), and then plain old vanilla. A touch of pine bark too. With water: the rum becomes more noticeable, though without any particularly clear markers. Mouth (neat): much sweeter, almost sugary, as though they’d added cane syrup to the bourbon. Loads of orange liqueur, maple syrup, and honey… With water: still very sweet, although the spices start to rise to the surface. Finish: medium length, still quite sugary, with honey and a touch of cinnamon in the aftertaste. Comments: perhaps this would help make a lovely BBBB (baba au bourbon). I like it, but I very much prefer the Unforgotten.
SGP:751 - 82 points.

Old Potrero 9 yo 2014/2024 ‘The Call of the Wild’ (66.2%, Ex-Libris, LMDW, rye)

The Call of the Wild – wasn’t that a Ted Nugent album? No, of course not, we’re talking Jack London. Either way, here we are in San Francisco with a truly ‘pioneering’ American whiskey. I remember tasting my first Old Potrero back in 2009, and back then it was still a bit like rocket fuel. Fifteen years on, I’m very curious… Colour: copper amber. Nose: incredible, absolutely nothing to do with the past, this is proper West-Coast whiskey, the Stan Getz of rye. Glorious harmony of fruits, wood, and cakes, perfectly balanced even at 66% ABV. Honey, quince, mandarin, soft mango… it’s just perfect, really. Wow. With water: majestic, grand, flawless, with tangerines taking centre stage in their full splendour. Mouth (neat): careful with this ABV – very creamy, with a faint peaty touch à la Hellyers Road and massive doses of quince paste and pinot gris. Utterly irresistible. With water: the rye takes over in the most beautiful way. The rest will remain between me and this whiskey if you don’t mind – unless you’d like to alert the Anti-Rye-o-Porn Brigade. Finish: long, very fruity, and entirely elegant, like peach liqueur from vineyard peaches. Comments: honestly, Old Potrero had slipped off my radar – sometimes I feel a bit ashamed.
SGP:751 - 91 points.

It’s best to stop there. We’ll have plenty of other American whiskies in the coming days, including more Old Potrero, some Willet, ex-MGP, etc. See yo

Check the index of all American whiskies we've tasted so far