Whisky: Spirit Hound 5 Year Cask 109 for Molly's

Country/Region: United States/Colorado

ABV: 66.6%

Cask: New Oak #3 Char

Age: 5 Years

Nose: Caramel and mesquite wood, waxed leather, cinnamon candies, hints of licorice and camphor, dusty red earth, dried sagebrush and pine nettles, hints of bitter orange.

Palate: Medium-bodied, feisty, spirited heat, peppercorn, cinnamon, caramel, heft oak; with water more oak at the front, orange, licorice, leather, earth, dried grass.

Finish: Medium to long with dried grass, cinnamon, pepper, and a spirited prickle.

Score: 4 (72)

Mental Image: High Altitude Prairie Lodge

Narrative & Notes: The aroma carried something of the place, reminding me of long stretches of red dirt with gnarled mesquite wood and dried sagebrush. Caramel provided a sweet through-line on the nose with cinnamon candies and more subtle notions of licorice, camphor, and bitter orange. Waxed leather and pine nettles brought to mind a western lodge with exposed wooden beams, bison hides, and sweet, dry, earthy air.  Medium-bodied and oily, the flammable abv was on full alert as a spirited heat sizzled with peppercorns, cinnamon, caramel, and a hefty oak. Cinnamon red hots, licorice, and sweet chili peppers gave the heat a candy fruit quality. With water, more oak came to the fore, with orange and licorice sliding to the back with leather and earth. Dried grass lingered on a medium to long finish with a peppery cinnamon bite.

Wow, this was a spicy malt! The abv. was barely perceptible on the nose, so the peppery splash on the palate was unexpected. If I had paid more attention to the bottle, I might have girded for a fiery introduction of peppercorns and cinnamon red hot candies. Once I decided there was not much more to get at cask strength, I doused the whisky with a few drops of water and played with adding a bit more over time. The flavors opened up nicely with water while the mouthfeel became silkier and more balanced.

I am not a big fan of the “oak brutalism” embraced by American Single Malt producers who seem determined to hew closer to the wood-driven flavors of bourbon. Considering that Spirit Hound labels this as a straight malt whisky and produces several other American whisky styles, such as rye, bourbon, etc., it is not odd they trend in that woody direction. It is, after all, a hallmark of American whiskies, especially those aged in hot, dry climates.

Overall, some interesting elements were going on here, even if it did not all come together for me. I would love to try a similar whisky in a refill cask— or maybe in some of the rum, rye, or bourbon casks they must have lying around for their other products.