New Holland Zeppelin Bend Straight Malt Whiskey

A patron enters an establishment and requests a trio of whiskey samples. The server responds, "We are missing the third whiskey you requested." The patron quickly reviews the offerings and thinks, "Zeppelin Bend. Intriguing name. Why not?" I'm still waiting for the joke. The aroma has some vanilla, but also an odd funk and perhaps some acetone. It deteriorates from there. The taste is simply bizarre and uncoordinated, concluding with stale beer and more odd funk. I have never encountered anything like Zeppelin Bend before, and I trust that will remain the case.

The aroma evoked the outdoors. The initial taste was spicy, which wasn't what I recalled. The second sip was mild, and that outdoor note from the nose came through on the palate. Not much of a finish. It was enjoyable to revisit it after several years, as I wasn't as into whiskey back then. Ultimately, I'm unsure of my opinion.

Unpleasant and not in an intriguing way. The texture and mouthfeel are significantly lacking. The flavor is just wrong; it might be the worst I've encountered so far. Perhaps a single star rating is appropriate.

Perhaps they believed a catchy name would improve the flavor. A noble effort, New Holland, but you missed the mark once again.

I find this remarkable! I love the finish, but struggle to describe it.

This is the Zeppelin Bend Reserve, bottled in Knickerbocker on April 8. I would drink it again.