Corsair Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon

Ranked: 21/23 Revisiting Corsair's renowned bourbon, which defied expectations and succeeded. Will it match my prior high opinion? I certainly hope so. Nose: The corn is evident, with rye and spelt also prominent. After a moment, buckwheat and barley emerge. Oats might provide a subtle creaminess, though this is typically textural. Quinoa isn't detected, nor is wheat. Triticale's presence is uncertain, as its aroma remains unknown. Notes include wood with faint creosote, apples, lemon zest, caramel, spices, a clear oiliness, and a subtle nuttiness. While individual aromas aren't extraordinary, the delicate balance allowing each grain's character to surface is truly remarkable. Palate: The palate is on the lighter side, enabling the distinct grains to shine. However, a mineral note is present, reminiscent of early impressions of Eagle Rare. Beyond that, flavors of apples, lemon zest, cherries, wood, spices, and a touch of light caramel are found. All the grains are discernible, excluding triticale and wheat (unless some mellowness is attributed to wheat). It's smooth, light, and incredibly intricate. The grain character is pronounced without imparting a young spirit taste, despite likely limited aging. No off-notes from excessive heads or tails are detected. A fantastic palate, though not for those seeking a robust, intense bourbon. The subtle smoky creosote adds a touch of maturity despite its softness, similar to Eagle Rare. Finish: Apples and minerals dominate, with spices blending well with the wood, which still carries a hint of creosote. A slight harshness is present but complements the spices and bright lemon peel. It's a shame this is a limited release. If Corsair is reading this, make this your signature offering! It's an innovative bourbon with excellent execution. Further refinement could potentially reduce the minerality and enhance the body. It's an easy sipper and a surprisingly good introduction for newcomers due to its lightness. I'm astonished that the individual grains are identifiable. At least seven are clear, and I understand why the other two are elusive. This could have easily been a chaotic, unbalanced blend. Pitching this nine-grain concept today, I'd predict success only with a traditional four-grain bourbon with minor additions of the others. Corsair's bold approach, however, has yielded great results! This is certainly worth seeking out. I noted a resemblance to Eagle Rare in its lightness and balance. For comparison, I tasted them side-by-side with a fatigued palate to discern the core profile. This was a relatively new bottle of Eagle Rare, suggesting a score of perhaps 15 or 16, serving as a useful benchmark. The Eagle Rare was richer, but the Corsair's complexity was immediately apparent, even on a tired palate. I would favor the Corsair. Given its complexity is the primary attribute, the comparison with a worn-out palate confidently establishes a minimum score of 16. A score of 23 seems unlikely due to the lightness and minerality, but a 22 is plausible. A middle ground score of 19 would already be excellent, matching Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116. Realistically, I anticipate a score between 19 and 22, though not necessarily in the middle of that range. My experiences with this bottling have always been positive. It's clearly young, but the complexity is astounding. It differs significantly from Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof, yet I'm comparing them side-by-side as both are exceptionally good, especially considering the price. It's a difficult choice between them, and since Jack Daniel's is at least a 21, this cannot be a 19, and I doubt it's a 20. While not low proof, it never feels harsh, and the alcohol is never overpowering. On a reasonable, if not ideal, palate, its immense complexity makes it comparable to Jack Daniel's, possibly even superior. I strongly believe this warrants at least a 21, placing it in the 21-22 range. This is a challenging rating. I appreciate its complexity without tasting overly young. It's light and sometimes restrained, but not weak; rather, it's elegant. I'd place it at least on par with Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof, though perhaps not as highly as Elijah Craig B520. Rating this is difficult because it deviates from other highly rated bourbons. I'll assign it a 21 for now, with the potential to increase to a 22 if my perception evolves.

It feels like I've been away for a bit, but I assure you I've been enjoying spirits! It's been a hectic couple of weeks, but I've been enjoying a new local spirit club and getting back into homebrewing. I do have some catching up to do on bottles added to my collection and tastings of wonderful selections sent by a friend! This is one I've been eager to try... Appearance: A dark copper hue, very oily with long-lasting legs. Nose: Wow, this nose has it all. Grains abound, living up to the name. And as a friend mentioned in his reviews, you can clearly smell them. But there's more, much more, and as that friend noted, so many delightful aromas to experience. I detect a strong scent from the grains, milk, brown sugar, sugar cookies, peach, cherries, very subtle cinnamon, honey buns, apple, vanilla, and buttercream – among others, in that order of scent. The longer it sits, the more aromas emerge. Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy, warming, with a medium body. Flavor: The taste here is intriguing. There's a nice warmth, a light cinnamon, and lots of grains, much like the aroma, with barley being the most prominent, though I do detect that buckwheat a friend mentioned. Oat stands out well, especially on the finish. There's also something almost refreshing on the back end, like a breeze through a wheat field. I also get a good wave of cherries and peach, akin to a fruit cup. It's certainly a very distinctive and lovely bourbon. It's much less sweet than the nose suggested and more green, although it does possess a pleasant sweetness. It's a grain-based sweetness, a beer-like sweetness, not your typical sugary bourbon sweetness. This is difficult to articulate, and perhaps it's the drink or my review rustiness after a break, but it's very enjoyable. Finish: Long, lingering flavors, particularly in the back of the throat, which persist well. It finishes green – not in a bad or immature way, but like fresh-cut grass. Adding one drop of water... The sweetness really comes forward on the nose with that single drop of water. I wonder what it will taste like now... yes, a bit sweeter. Not significantly, but it's noticeable. I believe this would benefit from a small cube, a very small cube... I bit down on a cube from my Yeti, so it's now very cold, but the cube is no bigger than a piece of another small 'cube' – so small it has already dissolved into the remaining spirit, which was about a finger in a glencarin. It's quite nice this way – I even prefer it a bit colder. Although it's barely cool, it's more flavorful on the sweet side, which I admit I enjoy, but it didn't lose any of the other wonderful flavors, including the amazing grains! Conclusion: This is a solid 4 – I would purchase it if I could find it. And a fleeting flavor at the very end is an interesting black licorice note that was totally unexpected! I'm not sure if it's because I haven't had a sip in a while or if the cooling ice brought it out, but for this reason and all the above, this is a winner! This bourbon is incredibly unique.

21: The aroma is a pleasure just to experience on its own, offering a rich, fruity, earthy, and complex character. The palate is equally delightful, showcasing impressive complexity. A maltiness harmonizes perfectly with the dominant, rich, earthy, vegetal oiliness of the buckwheat, mingled with a subtle hint of earthy soil from the quinoa. The corn sweetness provides a clear base, while a touch of rye minerality lightens the spirit without making it seem thin or uncomplicated, blending nicely with a hint of spelt bitterness and tartness. There's a delicious apricot flavor that is quite floral and pairs well with hints of vanilla and juicy cherry from the quinoa. At times, the more savory, vegetal, sweet, herbal, and robust side of the rye emerges, contributing to the bourbon's fuller character. It possesses a fair amount of spice, which unfortunately makes it seem slightly harsh due to its proof and somewhat light mineral profile, and because the cinnamon is less pronounced and lacks the sweet corn flavor usually found in bourbon, allowing ginger and allspice to take center stage, with a touch of clove also present. This is a terrific bourbon overall, and it's remarkable that I can distinguish the corn, rye, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, and spelt. I'm unsure of triticale's flavor profile, and wheat is often difficult to detect, so they might account for some of the lightness and minerality. I can't detect the oats at all. Nonetheless, being able to identify six grains in a nine-grain bourbon suggests expert distilling and blending. It's well worth seeking out if you can still find a bottle. It's not perfect due to the minerality, lightness, spice imbalance, and it certainly requires a clean palate for tasting, but it remains excellent. I've currently rated it at 21, and I don't believe it's a 22. It's definitely a 19, and most likely at least a 20. I'll keep it at 21 for now.

There's not much scent. It's alcohol, tartness, and a bit of vanilla. So, it's bourbon, I suppose. There's some red fruit sweetness like apples mixed with strawberries and perhaps a little plum. The flavor is very fruity. It's absolutely bursting with strawberry, cherry, and plum. It's surprisingly refreshing without tasting like artificial cherry. What is this? Beyond the fruitiness, there's a hint of orange blossom and plenty of vanilla. There's some harshness from the alcohol, but though there's some ginger, the spice isn't overpowering. This is a really distinctive bourbon. It reminds me of Knob Creek Single Barrel, but with an intensified fruitiness. There's some wood with a hint of bitter coffee. The flavor is a bit more bitter than I'd prefer, but it's still good. There are minerals accompanied by hints of honey that add complexity and make this an interesting take on the usual bourbon formula. Especially at this proof, it's surprising that this bourbon isn't overly aggressive. I appreciate that the spices don't dominate the other flavors. There might be a little caramel, but it's subtle and complements the honey well. The finish is a nice blend of rich and sweet, and the existing spiciness prevents this whiskey from tasting too mellow. The orange blossoms blend beautifully with apricot. There are no negative notes here; there are many positive ones. This is a remarkable success. It's a completely different bourbon, but it's a great one. There's some tartness and mineral notes, but they aren't excessive. With the toffee elements, there's a surprising amount of malty character, but it eventually gives way to corn. The balance is impressive, but the distinctness of the flavors is even more so. With nine grains, it's amazing that this tastes like anything other than a muddled mess. This is a triumph of distilling. There's so much happening here, and the flavors are so good, often reaching greatness.

The aroma is rich with diverse fruit, suggesting a playful Cognac influence. A deep woody element lies in the background. Spice, vanilla, and caramel are abundant, with the nose constantly shifting! The palate is equally fascinating. This is a significant improvement over the Corsair Quinoa, offering intriguing, subtle fruit layers that avoid excessive sweetness and blend perfectly with the robust woody undertones. While not the richest or heartiest bourbon, it's delightful, akin to a rich XO Cognac blended with bourbon. The numerous layers are astounding. There's ample fruit, some spice, and a hint of rye, yet balanced by pleasant wood and spice notes, all coated in sweet vanilla. The harmony is remarkable and truly pleasing. Corsair has excelled with this bourbon, innovating and expanding bourbon's potential while balancing numerous excellent flavors. It's a truly special bourbon. I'd prefer a bit more richness, but it is indeed rich, and the flavors meld well. It compares favorably to Wild Turkey Whiskey Jewbillee. It even exhibits floral notes at times, but not in an unpleasant, bitter way.

The nose evokes Trapper Keeper cardboard and plastic, with a faint chlorine scent, like hair fresh from a public pool. Beneath that, there's caramel and wheat flour. The palate is more pleasing but equally intriguing. Familiar bourbon characteristics appear alongside the unusual notes mentioned. Some chocolate notes are present, reminiscent of whiskeys featuring chocolate malted rye. The finish offers more caramel and ends positively, though the whiskey as a whole is peculiar. I don't actively dislike it, but curiosity outweighs enjoyment. I was anticipating trying this after spotting it locally, having a sample at home. However, after tasting, I won't be purchasing it. I'm truly thankful to a friend for the sample. This illustrates how tastes vary. A friend, whose palate is far more sophisticated than mine and whose whiskey opinions I greatly respect, seemed to truly appreciate this, but my experience was quite different. Perhaps more time with it is needed for appreciation, or perhaps my palate simply differs enough that it didn't resonate with me.