Paul John 5 Year (2015), Single Cask Nation
Whisky: Paul John 5 Year (2015), Single Cask Nation
Country/Region: India
ABV: 56.7%
Cask: First Fill Bourbon Barrel
Age: 5 Years (Distilled Jan. 2015, Bottled May 2022)
Nose: Charred grass, earth, smoke, dough, medicinal herbs, new shoes, tropical fruits, mellow brine.
Palate: Medium-bodied, very oily, charred fruits, burning wood, earth, medicinal herbs, tobacco, pizza dough, hints of balsamic; more earth and dry grass at the end, caramelized fruits.
Finish: Medium to long with earth, black pepper, and caramelized fruits.
Score: 6-7 (81)
Mental Image: ʻImu-based Pizza Concept
Narrative & Notes: Charred grass and earthen ovens gave way to car exhaust and charred pizza dough; a confusing combination that settled in the direction of dried grass and burning medicinal herbs, camphor and sage, to cleanse the air. New shoes and leather lingered further in with hints of mountain guava, orchard fruits, and coastal breezes. Medium-bodied with a lovely oily viscosity the flavors started with charred tomatoes and fruits before drifting toward earthen ovens and burning wood— an intriguing new pizza joint concept? With medicinal herbs slowly pushing in alongside menthol tobacco, a crispy, doughy pizza crust did not feel far fetched; was that a hint of balsamic? More earth and dried grass lingered at the end as some sweet, fruity caramelization came into focus. The finish was medium to long with earth, black pepper, and caramelized fruits.
It has been a while since I have had, much less reviewed a Paul John— my archive spreadsheet says 2021 was the last. I had forgotten just how nice and earthy their peated whisky can be, and this had plenty of those distinctive notes that also reminded me a lot of Highland Park, but minus the coastal quality. The whisky had a wonderfully oily mouthfeel and a variety of flavors that were generally well-integrated and only occasionally discordant. I wish I knew a bit more about the curious history of this cask, which seems to have spent a couple of years in an inert container before bottling as the label notes it was removed from wood in 2020 at five years old.
Overall, enjoyable and distinctive— punchy considering the age, but balanced well enough that one would think this was at least twice as old. I wish these single casks from independent bottlers were more widely available and affordable, it is not hard to imagine that this will be my last Paul John again for a few years.
