It's been quite a while since the last Un-Gnome Whiskey review. This was a fun thing I started to keep myself honest & remove any label bias that might have started to creep into my reviews. @amongstthefernsco is once again helping me out on hiding what sample I have been given tonight. We will be switching it up a tiny bit for this one as I will have 10 options to guess from once I am completely done with my review and ranking. Part of the fun is trying to get the whiskey right too! Let's get into this one.
Bottle information will be posted after the glass reveal at the end. Scroll slow if you don't want spoilers!
Nose: Mmm stone fruit, coffee grounds and a touch of malt to start. There is a touch of ethanol burn on deep inhales, so maybe a little higher on the proof side. Chocolate, meaty, malty aromas are very heavy in this glass. Popcorn kernels are sitting in the middle of the glass with a bit of dry flakiness to it. Some fleeting caramel. Incredibly dusty oak aromas now, more-so than usual in a pour I'd say. An older, dried out black pepper aroma is also wafting through on deep inhales. Now that I am nosing a little heavier I am wondering if I was misled on the higher proof as it is now it is presenting fairly low. The overall feel is still very malty. There's also a copper with a heavy patina smell now. Very herbal and metallic. Time for a sip. Now the nose feels much lighter and sweeter. The oak is even presenting brighter with floral undertones. Now moving towards a bit of baking spice later in the glass. There's a touch of smokiness that smells like a grill that is burning off the remnants of a big batch of burgers. The base layer to this is some kind of creamy yet floral note. The empty glass smells of sweet malt, oak and honey.
Palate: Wow, way different than the nose. Punchy vanilla and strawberry sugar. This tastes like a strawberry daquiri. What on earth! I have never tasted something like that out of a whiskey before. The sweet flavor was so powerful for a few fleeting moments before settling into a vague, unshapely strawberry smoothie finish. A good swish and chew reveals honeycomb and something that reminds me of fresh, pressed flowers. This is incredibly tasty and unique. There's something different about this; either a strange mash bill or a finish I think. Regardless: just an incredible flavor to this; it reminds me of eating those wildflower honey sticks you might find at a farm stand or country store. There is a great thin yet syrupy mouth feel to this. I wish the flavors stuck around a little longer, but only because they are so delicious. Oh! This reminds me quite a bit of elderflower liqueur. Incredible orange creamsicle flavors now. Wow, impressively tasty. I feel like this stands up very well as a first pour of the day, but may not do well after a few other pours. My last sip is incredibly delicate, maybe one of those surprising ~90 proofers that work well as first sip?
Rating: 4/5
Options:
Old Tub BiB
Rebel Yell 10 Year SiB
Bakers 13 Year
Chicken Cock Bourbon
Hill Rock Rye - George Washington
Hickory Hill Bourbon
Amador Double Barrel
Legent Sherry Finish
Bowman Brothers Small Batch
Town Branch Sherry Cask
Guess(es):
1. Amador Double Barrel
2. Hill Rock Rye - George Washington
3. Hickory Hill Bourbon
Reveal: Hickory Hill Bourbon
Surprising result yet again! This is why I do these! Hickory Hill Bourbon... Would you ever go hunting for this? It's 25 bucks at Total Wine. Never thought I'd like a 3 year age statement nor a 90 proofer as much as this!
Company on Label: Gulf Coast Distillers
Whiskey Type: Bourbon
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed
Proof: 90°
Age: 3 years
Further identification: This is the flagship release of this; I probably purchased this in ~2019