53040 Mexican Corn Whiskey

This is my inaugural Mexican whiskey. It was a wonderful gift, presented in an exceptionally attractive bottle, for which I will provide an unbiased review. The decanter itself is simply superb – a small, eco-friendly oil can. The distillery owner shared that the name "53040" refers to the zip code of his childhood town. This spirit is crafted from four corn varieties: black, yellow, white, and red, all sourced from Oaxaca, Mexico. It's bottled at 43% ABV with a copper hue and aged in French oak, American oak, and sherry casks, making for a complex profile. The aroma starts with aged notes, then evolves into a very sweet scent: old books, mountain air, sawdust, dried oranges, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, and a hint of humidity. Marshmallows, ice cream topping, and coffee with milk follow. It's very inviting. On the palate, unexpected flavors emerge that I haven't encountered in other whiskies: tree tomato juice, grapefruit juice, gooseberries, and vanilla. A second taste revealed white chocolate and more tree tomato juice. It has a pleasant potency. The finish mirrors the palate, offering more grapefruit juice, tree tomato juice, and some salty, sulfuric notes. Overall, this was a remarkably engaging dram. It lacks the creaminess found in other grain whiskies but possesses the complexity and quality of a fine single malt. Its oily texture, rather than creamy, could easily lead one to mistake it for a single malt in a blind tasting. Some of the flavor notes, like the tree tomato, are so unusual and compelling that they merit a high score, especially when the whiskey itself is as excellent as this one. My rating is 89 out of 100.