Red wine, cinnamon, and mint on the nose - that is until you read the distiller's notes: Cracklin' Oat Bran. Yes! (Sorry to folks OCONUS, if you don't have this breakfast cereal in your area, blame your customs and imports ministry. That's more for us Yanks!) Where were we? Ah, yes: oat, bran, cinnamon, and sugar. The palate, however, is not quite as good - a fusion of bourbon and red wine notes, with black licorice in the finish. A bit of heat due to the youth of the spirit - 5 yrs - but not at all offensive. This is a pretty good effort, but at the price point, I'd give the edge to Belle Meade as far as cask-finished bourbons are concerned. (The comparison might be unfair, as this one is a 5 yr while the Belle Meade is a 9 yr, but the price points are close.) Nonetheless, I hope these guys thrive and survive to produce older, more mature, distillate. Thanks once more to a friend for introducing me to these progressive whiskey makers. Tasted from a full 50ml sample.
Wanderback American Single Malt Batch No. 3
Whiskey American Single Malt Washington 5 Year 45% ABV
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About this bottle
Wanderback operates as both an independent bottler and a distillery, partnering with distillers before production to achieve specific outcomes. For Batch No. 3, Seattle's Westland Distillery employed a double pot distillation process using a blend of four malted barley types: Munich Malt, Washington Select Pale Malt, Crystal Malt, and Pale Chocolate Malt. This expression aged for five years in 53-gallon, low-char new American oak and ex-bourbon barrels before a six-week finishing period in French oak ex-port barrels. It is bottled at 90 proof.
How it tastes
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Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 4 parsed reviews.
Just one left...Batch 3. I've already tasted Batch 1 and 2, and Batch 1 was my favorite. So, how does Batch 3 compare? Batch 3 is aged at least five years and then finished in port barrels. It's back to Batch 1's 45% ABV, unlike Batch 2's 50% ABV. Maybe it's the lower alcohol, two more years in the barrel, or the combination, but Batch 2's slight harshness has vanished, and the intense, deep mocha flavor from Batch 1 is back and improved. The port finish shows on the nose and tongue, but it's not too strong. It really complements the base malt nicely. I had a great time with this one and am excited about what this distillery will release next. Good news too – this distillery's website says Batch 4 is on its way.
Deep plum notes with a smooth mouthfeel
A solid pour.
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
