Corsair Centennial Hopped Whiskey

Score: 13/23 After trying Corsair Mosaic (15), I thought the hops made it too numbing and one-dimensional in its bitterness. I hoped this would be more balanced, but I wasn't optimistic. However, I opened the Mosaic months ago and it's been exposed to a lot of air since then, so a direct comparison might not be entirely fair. Nose: Wow, this aroma has even more intense hops than the Mosaic! It's extremely starkly bitter with a dry quality that's almost like lemon, mint, and some random green vine (a bit vegetal). If you really dig deep, there's a faint malt note trying to be noticed, but that's all for the nose. Not impressive at all. Actually quite unpleasant, though not awful. Palate: This taste is much richer and more balanced than the aroma indicated. The hops are powerful and bold with a stark, numbing intensity, but they also lead into some malty nuttiness that brings buckwheat to mind. There's a burst of lemon and definitely clove. I detect a bit of light vegetal vine blending into some melon rind. Sipping this while drawing air through it, I notice a hint of toasted wood. The other flavors overpower that, though. The flavors almost come together, but they really don't. I appreciate the direction this palate is heading, but the hops need to be toned down, and it needs some time in a barrel to integrate everything. Finish: Numbing, a little minty. Some buckwheat. Some malty sweetness. - Conclusion - I would be quite hopeful about trying a version of this that spent a couple more years aging in an ex-bourbon barrel. As it stands, though, this is rough. Hopefully, the oxygen in my bottle will improve it. I'm struggling to decide if I prefer this or the Mosaic. Right now, I'd pick the Mosaic, but I suspect that's due to the air it's had. This does a better job of managing its hops, while the Mosaic does a better job of embracing them. I believe that in time this will likely become the superior of the two, but comparing my fresh Centennial bottle against my long-opened Mosaic bottle, the Mosaic's flavors seem more cohesive, which makes me favor it. I think this means it's not better than a 14. I doubt it's worse than a 13, though. Putting some other random drinks side-by-side with this, and kind of hoping I can make a reasonable comparison, I'm lowering myself to a 13 here. I really hope air improves this, but for now, it's more intriguing than good. I seriously considered both a 12 and a 14. I started leaning towards a 12, but as my palate went numb, I shifted towards a 14. So I'm sticking with my 13.

A strong citrus and green herbaceous aroma. Almost like gin. It tastes as it smells. Truly citrus and fresh, herbal. A little sour and sharp. Fresh, complex, becomes lightly sweet at the end. I like this a lot, which is unexpected. I believe it would be an excellent mixer.

Absolutely not. Rancid and unpleasant, resembling old chemicals in a derelict amusement park attraction.