Breaking and Entering (American Whiskey)

Nose: It has a youthful, corn smell but it does not at all smell moonshiney. I get hints of alcohol, some small medicinal scents and a very light, almost not there, chocolate smell.

Palate: It definitely tastes better than it smells, but then again, I tend to think that most whiskeys, with the exception of the high end stuff, are like that. You can taste that it is a youngish whiskey (and the light color also gives it away), but it isn’t nearly as bad as other youthful whiskeys. It isn’t complex and there isn’t much noteworthy in the first impression, but then it starts rolling and ends up with a pretty decent finish. It is not harsh and doesn’t burn, but does have that nice, long warming on the end. It mostly hits the back of your throat and then you feel it all the way down your gullet. A second sip still makes it hard to pick up any distinctive tastes that I can describe. Oddly, the second sip tasted a little “chalky”. Not necessarily in a bad way, but almost more of a mouthfeel than a flavor. It is kinda deep and sorta chewy, but quite frankly I’m still having a hard time picking out anything distinctive, other than a bit of the chocolate that I smelled. That said, I kinda like it and look forward to the next sip.

Comments: Well, there’s not much going on with this one, but it is still a nice, easy drinker. This is one of the few California whiskies at the Flying Aces Saloon. Mostly because I usually class stuff from California in the same category as stuff from Texas and New York (i.e. rarely worth what you pay for it and sometimes, downright stinky) and I don’t usually buy it. That said, this isn’t REALLY California whiskey. It is from St George Spirits and sourced in KY and TN. It is reportedly a blend of bourbons from KY (not identified) and rye from TN (also not identified), as well as some “Malt Whiskey” made by St. Georges. It is 86 proof and reportedly aged 2.5 years. It is too bad it isn’t just a little bit older, because I think it would be mighty fine aged a bit longer. If memory serves me, I think I paid something in the $30’s for this.