Primarily based out of San Francisco, Fats Labrador Distillers is following a playbook just like so many different American craft distillers. Whereas their very own distillate is ageing, they’ve sourced shares from different main producers to assist create each model consciousness and gross sales. Their Whiskey City releases cowl quite a lot of mashbills, a few of that are completed at services in San Francisco; these embrace “oak stave,” pinot noir, and cabernet-finished expressions.
Right now, we’ll be taking a look at their 3 year-old straight bourbon, distilled and aged in Indiana (one could assume MGP) from a 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley mash. The whiskey was then shipped and “craft completed” in San Francisco on further oak staves.
It’s bottled at 90 proof and retails for $55. Let’s dive in.
The whiskey has an intensely darkish colour for a 3-year-old bourbon, which I’m guessing comes from the extra stave ending. On the nostril, there’s a direct hit of grain that dominates at first. Shortly, that provides technique to some darkish fruit, predominantly raisins and dates. There’s additionally a little bit of a rum high quality right here, and the entire thing jogs my memory of rum-soaked vacation fruitcake from previous household gatherings (emphasis on the soaked). However there’s nonetheless sufficient of a distinguished grain observe to counsel this can be a whiskey on the youthful aspect of 4 years.
The primary sip is a bit muted and dissipates rapidly; this comes by way of each drier and fewer fruity than I anticipated. A second sip does yield some sweetness, notably a honey observe that slides over the palate however doesn’t deliver a ton of heat with it. There’s additionally a chocolatey high quality right here, virtually milk chocolate earlier than giving technique to one thing darker with a tinge of cocoa bitterness.
On the end, there’s leather-based and a continued chocolate observe. Although because the milk chocolate offers technique to darkish chocolate, the step past is barely bitter for my liking, and it’s bordering on a contact bitter in distinction to the preliminary honey sweetness.
There’s been some fascinating work accomplished right here so as to add depth to younger Indiana whiskey, however total it wasn’t a constant enchancment throughout the nostril, palate, and end, leaving just a few parts lagging behind others. There are some very welcome and flavor-forward notes right here, which then get slowed down by a comparatively flat midpalate and end that veers barely bitter. The excessive notes, nevertheless, left me questioning what Fats Labrador’s ending course of might accomplish with an older, extra balanced base spirit. It’s actually one thing to control.
90 proof.
B / $55 / fatlabradordistillers.com
Whiskey City Bourbon 3 Years Previous
$55
About Publish Writer
