New Southern Revival Sorghum Whiskey

The Bottle: It's heavy. You could easily assault someone with this thing… The base is almost an inch thick solid glass, giving it a substantial feel, similar to a rocks glass (reminds me of Kirk & Sweeney). The label features a chaotic blend of font styles, just shy of being excessive. It includes some nice descriptive text about the distillery and the spirit itself. Appearance in Glass: Light bronze. On the Nose: Sweet and fruity. Banana, grain, and a hint of shoe polish? Despite the 44% ABV, you can inhale deeply without any harshness from the alcohol content. If you didn't see the label, you might mistake this for rum! It doesn't resemble any other American spirit I've sampled. Taste: This is undoubtedly a sophisticated Southern gentleman enjoying a Caribbean getaway. Barbados notes with a bourbon foundation. The flavor profile closely mirrors the aroma; a well-balanced tropical sweetness with a grain-forward finish. Adding a few drops of water is recommended to lessen some of the bitterness on the finish. Everything about this happens quite rapidly; the initial taste, development, and conclusion. It lacks the depth for significant lingering presence after the sip, but I don't particularly fault it for that. While there's no age statement, I'd wager it has spent less than five years in the cask. To be honest, I'm frequently disappointed by many newer American whiskies. They often attempt to imitate established major brands (and usually fail), largely due to maturation processes and rushing to market. However, occasionally, you discover one that carves its own niche. That's what we have here. I'm uncertain how prevalent sorghum is as a base grain for spirits, but it's highly effective. This isn't trying to be a Jack Daniels or a Maker's Mark. It's remarkably distinct from other available options, and you can tell it was crafted by someone with expertise. It's confident in its identity, so to speak. As a side note, I bought this during a recent distillery visit and had the opportunity to try their Jimmy Red Corn Bourbon… it might have been the finest bourbon I've ever tasted. It's expensive, but I strongly recommend it if you happen upon it.

Someone offered me a sample from their bottle. The aroma is distinctly like bananas foster. It's difficult to move past that. It's unmistakable. The palate is sweet, continuing the aroma with a somewhat scotch-like finish. It has a very brief finish with a slight burn. I'd say it's highly unusual, but in my opinion, it's the type of whiskey you only need one glass of ever.

Just as you'd guess from a grain used for making a syrupy sweetener, this spirit is intensely sweet. I caught hardly any aroma, just a faint hint of sugar on the tongue, like the sunbeams filtering through Spanish moss. I'm not sure I'd drink this straight, except perhaps for a variation, but it would craft an amazing Manhattan.

Vanilla and caramel are present, followed by a gentle warmth. There's a subtle biscuit note, reminiscent of some craft bourbons, but it's very slight. A prior craft bourbon purchase was undrinkable after just two sips and was discarded. This one, however, is definitely worth keeping.

I'm at the place where it was made, and the staff member clearly dislikes her job, likely due to the disruptive people I'm with.

A very unusual aroma, a strange taste but quite good, it goes down smoothly, not for daily drinking, but a pleasant change of pace.