Copper Fox Bourbon Mash Spirit

Rating: 12/23 I've only tried Copper Fox's funky, smoky rye before. Taking a weird distillery and trying its white dog seems like a bold move to me, but we'll see. I'm additionally concerned because this white dog is 20% barley and 20% wheat (60% corn). I'm expecting that barley to add weird flavors and the wheat to make it taste less like anything once aged. Plus, the barley was smoked with peachwood, which sounds likely to make it challenging. N: Dusty-musty with sweet squash. The squash isn't too over the top, but it's definitely present and undeniable. Some light graininess works its way in. A touch of faint fruit - maybe cherry and tangerine? It's far less funky than I'd expected. After it's been in the glass a while, I get some light mezcal notes on the nose. P: Wow, this is surprisingly drinkable! It's kind of mellow, with some nice orange and tangerine flavors mixed with restrained vegetal flavors, some slight grain fullness, and a mellow dry grass. There's a bit of a savoriness to it that's maybe in the oyster or morel mushroom range. Maybe I'm getting some smoke in here, but it really isn't much. I'm betting that the peachwood smoke added a lot of that fruitiness. It's probably also responsible for that bitter layer that's helping to cover the squash. OK, it took a while, but I'm definitely tasting proper smoke now. I'm getting a little bit of a mezcal vibe, but it isn't oppressive. It's really just kind of interesting. There's a light brininess as well. The only downside is that it's less sweet and fruity. F: Some lingering burn with savoriness, grain, a bit of dry grass, and something kind of bitter. An occasional hint of rich tangerine. - Conclusion - I bet that this would be great in some sort of cocktail. It's interesting enough to stand out, but it isn't so funky that it's challenging. I'm not blown away by this, but it's much better than I'd expected. Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1 (11/23) is funkier (aside from that mezcal flavor here) with more burn. I think that the two are pretty close, but I'm putting this slightly ahead. I could believe a 13 for this, but I'm thinking a 12.

Excellent unaged whiskey! Less percentage of corn than other “moonshine,” but it’s still got that corn sweetness that I love. Mixes perfectly with Mountain Dew, and paired with a spoonful of honey, it gets rid if any and all sore throats.