Masterson’s 12-year old straight Wheat Whiskey (Batch #1)
Nose: This has a light scent that is highlighted by mint and cinnamon. Palate: This isn’t a bourbon, but at first taste you might think it is a really nice, traditionally sweet bourbon. The sweetness is prevalent but not overwhelming. It has hints of lemon, vanilla, and also has some light oak woodiness, particularly in the finish. There is not much in the way of heat, but what is there shows up as a pleasant warmth that lightly makes its presence known in the finish. It has a nice light to medium mouthfeel that is slightly tingly on the tongue. On later sips, the warmth lingers on your tongue and it has a cinnamon character to it. It also has something I haven’t tasted in a while, and quite frankly, miss…..butterscotch. And, in the final sips, I started getting some mild chocolate flavors mixed in. This is a whiskey that lends itself very well to a long sipping sessions….you’ll get a wide range of flavors over the course of your glass. Comments: Well….you can’t help but like a whiskey named after one of the true “characters” of the Old West. Although named for Bat Masterson and sporting his picture on the label, the bottle has a very modern look to it and it is hard to image walking into an Old West saloon, ordering a whiskey, and getting something as smooth and easy drinking as this. This is 100 proof and it comes from Canada (although it is imported and bottled in California). It is 100% wheat in the mashbill. This came from Batch #1, but I’m not sure if there was a Batch #2 or later. This was very hard to find and was rather pricey….in the $60 range. I had a sample of it at my local whiskey bar and liked it, so when I was surprised by seeing a bottle of it on the shelf much, much later, I decided to bring it home. Masterson’s also puts out a rye that has a good reputation, and is easier to find. I like this but it isn’t something I would drink every day. It is, however, a very nice change of pace. I suspect that if you like wheated bourbons, or other wheat whisky, like Bernheim, you’ll probably like this too.
