Mother Earth Spirits American Single Malt

MOTHER EARTH SPIRITS AMERICAN SINGLE MALT (Batch 40/Bottle 282-Aged 2 Yrs) NOSE: Leather, Cedar, Orange Peel, Tobacco, Straw, Apple, Dried Floral. The aroma from an empty glass is reminiscent of the inside of a Humidor. NEAT: Grilled Fruit, Smoke, Leather, and Almond are prominent initially. A slight, building bitterness appears on the sides and back of the tongue. A mild burn is on the finish with Smoke, Black Pepper, and Oak Tannins coating the Palate. Some youthful notes are present here, but it's generally well-executed. SPLASH: The nose develops a Bubblegum aroma. The Palate becomes even more Fruit Forward with added Tart Cherry while the Bitterness diminishes. VERDICT: This North Carolina distillery offers another respectable Single Malt, similar to Great Wagon Road's Rúa. Mother Earth is a small Distillery located in Kinston, NC, which began as an extension of the well-known Mother Earth Brewing. The Distillery and Stills are entirely powered by Solar Energy. All Grains used are sourced locally. They have been in operation longer than most distilleries in the state and have clearly mastered their craft. This is a revised edition of their previous 80 Proof NAS Whiskey, now in freshly redesigned packaging. They have also launched a 3 Year Rye alongside their popular local Gin (which also features new packaging). It's certainly worth the $40 risk.