Here to kick off something new and challenging! An interesting way to get back into bottles I may have put to the side... I’d like to introduce Un-Gnome Whiskey! Every once in a while, when I can’t figure out what to pour, I have my lovely assistant @amongstthefernsco pour me a glass completely blinded for a review. Some of these things are samples I’ve saved off from bottles I’ve put into backup storage locations, some are samples I have swapped with other whiskey friends, and some are provided by kind souls who just want an honest review. See if you can guess the whiskey from the notes below before you swipe to the other images above...
Bottle information will be posted after the glass reveal at the end. Scroll slow if you don't want spoilers!
Color is noticeably darker than most; just a bit past caramel.
Nose: Big, flavorful, fruity and slightly proofy to start. Can smell it from across the table. Fruity like something with a barrel finish. Nose is sort of similar to Old Forester 1920. Anise, dark plum. Oak is just barely dipped into a light citrus. Sweet and easy. Still pretty dark. Maple syrup, vanilla, pepper. No leather comes with those scents which makes me believe this is on the younger side; maybe around 5-6 years. It's all fruit from here! Very well flavored stone fruit. Definitely a little mossy/earthy funk happening here. Maybe a higher malt content. Vanilla comes back to save this from becoming something weird.
Palate: Woah, pretty well crafted. Earthy undertones like a good Irish whiskey. Sweet fruit forms a thin mouth coating that lingers forever. Definitely have a wine barrel finish in mind here. Creamy in texture. Scotch-like... Proof is low, probably around 90. Definitely feels like a sherry finish. Creamy floating sweetness. Profile loses out on complexity, but makes up for it in high quality sweetness that lingers long.
Rating: 3/5
Guess: Stranahan's Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whiskey
Reveal: Correct!
I knew this was something from my collection I had tasted. The sherry finish was unmistakable by the end and I only have a few that would fit this bill. I was split between Stranahan’s and Town Branch for a while but finally went with a final guess of Stranahan’s which was correct!
Company on Label: Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey
Whiskey Type: Finished Single Malt Whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 94°
Age: 4 years
Further identification: That sweet maroon label and the shot glass on top is a sure identifier; I purchased this sometime mid-2020