Ironroot Promethean (16 Months)

Ironroot Promethean 2017 103 proof Nose: Reminiscent of a warm pecan pastry, fresh from the oven, with toasted pecans and a maple-vanilla sugar glaze. Deeper exploration reveals a dense, sweet aroma with an earthy undertone, akin to a fine Bordeaux or Rioja. Thick waves of vanilla and maple syrup yield to red fruits, like raspberry puree and sugared strawberries. Smoky oak char and cedar gently emerge through the sweet notes, alongside nutty pastry and cinnamon. Palate: Flavors of salted caramel, bitter dark chocolate, red currants, and tart raspberries. Classic Texas oak-infused vanilla appears mid-palate, transitioning to an umami, soy-like character. Finish: Notes of salted leather with a cooling sensation of mint. A remarkable paradox of flavors, exceptionally intriguing. It possesses brine comparable to a fine Islay, yet harmonizes wonderfully with tart sweet fruit and vanilla oak. A credit to the distillers for maintaining balance and layering among the diverse notes. This whiskey showcases deep earthiness while feeling vibrant and youthful. It evokes the balance of fruit and earth found in the finest Bordeaux or Rioja.

Edit: The version I have is 16 months old, and that's what I gave a 4.25 to. I'm trying a 26-month version now, and it's richer, has a denser mouthfeel, and the chocolate, coffee, and berries meld better. In simple terms, it's more mature and refined. More well-rounded. And the finish is longer too. It's superior in every way, so I'm upgrading this tasting to 4.5, and I anticipate the BIB will be a 5+ when it arrives if it can build upon this. Rich, dense, dark berries and dark chocolate. Full flavor and a lingering finish. I would have bought a bottle at the distillery if they didn't have two others that were truly out-of-this-world.

I really enjoyed this at the distillery. This whiskey is incredibly complex, offering notes of ripe stone fruits and dark berries like cherries. It's balanced by darker elements such as chocolate, wood, and smoke char. This is certainly a spirit for exploration and stands out in any selection. Its respectable alcohol content allows for dense flavors without being overwhelmed by the intensity of barrel-proof spirits. A highly recommended starting point for whiskey enthusiasts curious about Ironroot.

Ironroot continues to impress me. It has a lot of mouthfeel, but a profile quite unlike their other products. Black tea, licorice, vanilla, cinnamon, and leather. As with all my ratings, I give a slight boost to craft producers who actually make their whiskey and are open about its age, etc.

Nose: strong ethanol, oak spice. Candy store sweetness. Taste: immediately tastes like strong corn whiskey, not too sweet, with some hot cinnamon. Finishes with a little tannin dryness. But leaves a saccharine aftertaste. Quite different from typical bourbon.

So complex and interesting. The nose has a traditional caramel bourbon note with some dark fruit. The palate is smooth and syrupy with dark fruit and chocolate. Almost tastes finished. Thoroughly impressed.