Proof: 119.6
Age: N/A
Distillery: Down Home (MGP sourced)
Mashbill: MGP wheat mash
——
Nose: fresh bread, French toast, heavy ethanol, toasted sugar, burnt caramel, wheat grain, burnt vanilla, heavy char, maple syrup coffee,
—
Taste: Sharp/Metallic mouthfeel. toasted vanilla, burnt caramel, orange peel, bitter oak, light maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, ethanol, yeast.
—
Finish: long. The first thing you notice once the finish sits for a minute is the heat. This baby drinks way hotter than 119.6 – blind, you would think you’re drinking 130+. There are some redeeming flavors in this bottle, but two things kill any enjoyment I can get from it. That is the heavy bitter oak and just how hot it is. What starts as a nice French toast, maple syrup, toasted vanilla, and light citrus profile, dies and turns into a bitter hot mess. I wish I could. Give a better finish description, but the heat ruins it for me.
—
Overall: At a $75 price point, I’m not angry at the store for pricing it as such, I feel like for the money, a sourced brand and being toasted – perfect price. What I dislike is the bottle itself. The only way I have found any enjoyment is to add several drops of water or wait 30 minutes to drink it so the ethanol dies off.
Adding some water helps keep those nice sweet, toasted notes in check, while keeping that bitter oak away from it all. I love tannins, high proof, wheat, and toasted – so this should have been perfect for me! But, it is not. I wish I had gone for one of the medium toast bottles so I didn’t have such a bad taste (no pun intended) about this purchase. The amount of grain that comes through during the entire experience makes me think this is much younger juice than one would expect and the toasting was attempted to hide the fact.
What could have been a great alternative for those looking for W.L.W., is a missed opportunity. I would love to try more Toasted Wheated juice and see if someone can perfect it. If that happens, I would give them my money all day long!
The score is helped by the price point. It is pricy, but i find it to be about the right price point. I wish it were closer to $65, then it could be 2 points higher.
—
Rating: 4.3/10
Value Rating: 5/10
Total Score: 4.65/10
Recent Comments