Spirits of French Lick Wheater

Spirits of French Lick The Wheater 90 proof wheated bourbon A blend of 7yr & 2yr old stock Nose: toasted wheat bread with honey and butter, vanilla poundcake, dried apples, apple turnovers with sugar icing. Palate: honey butter and brown sugar upfront. On the mid-palate, a chalky minerality glides with notes of malt and wheat (chocolate and graham cracker?). Ginger, allspice, and nutmeg explode on the cheeks and the back of the tongue, with some apple and banana making their way in. Finish: creamy tobacco and apple pie drizzled with caramel and vanilla. It's a long, pleasant finish that makes you want another sip. Alan Bishop (distiller) champions #respectthegrain, and it truly shines in this wheater. The barrel serves as an ornamental addition to the primary focus of a wheated mash. It's beautifully simple without being boring, forgettable, or just background whiskey. A craftsman skillfully working his pot still to everyone's delight. Get yourself some; #CraftisKing.

I would normally provide a full review, covering the nose, palate, and finish, but this was the first time I couldn't even finish the glass. I'm uncertain if this was a bad batch, but it was genuinely offensive. The taste was astringent, with a lot of barrel funk, overly musty, and I'd even say moldy. As a native of Indiana, I was hoping this would make a fellow Hoosier proud, but sadly, the opposite is true, and I'm hesitant to try other offerings from French Lick as a result.

Nose: Intense toast, oats, and caramel; creamy. Flavors of apple and cinnamon.