La Crosse High Rye Light Whiskey

Picked this one up out of the discount bin at a local liquor store. I’m all for trying something new and local, and for the discount price I decided to grab the bottle having never tasted anything from La Crosse Distilling before. Tonight I pulled the cork... The website describes this as an organic locally sourced grain to glass rye plus wheat whiskey that is intentionally only aged for a few weeks in used charred and toasted barrels to give it a “kiss” of oak. On to the taste. The nose is incredibly floral and sweet with a faint scent of alcohol. Since it’s hardly aged, I expected the smell to be overwhelming alcohol, but this has been a pleasant surprise. Thin buttery feel on the tongue followed by pepper. The floral aftertaste lingers well beyond the drink. Overall, I’m happy to have tried it. Honestly, you could have told me this was a gin finished in whiskey barrels, and I would have believed you without question. Granted, I don’t have that much exposure to gin. Not sure where to go from here. Part of me likes it, but I don’t see revisiting it soon because it’s so different from my usuals. If you like gin and whiskey, give it a try!

Clear, yet possesses a solid whiskey character. Smooth.

Sweet, earthy, and floral.