Corsair Wildfire

Rating: 17/23 I'd convinced myself that I was done with this bottle, but I'm coming back for a bottle kill because I've given it a fairly wide range of ratings. It's had quite a lot of air at this point (a LOT), but not quite to the point that I think it's absurd. N: Apple, dry smoke, roast pork loin, minerals, heather, a hint of blackberry, vanilla, a touch of oily nut. It's youthful, but without youthful flaws and it's fairly nicely balanced and complex. P: Dry smoke and barrel spices (ginger, clove, cinnamon). Some malt and apple come out, as well as occasional large breaths of vanilla. There's a bit of hickory to the smoke, but not as much as I'd expected, and fortunately there's no mesquite. There's also some very faint roast pork loin making me think of a campfire a bit, but not too much. Minerals really do come out, but they're more like an extra layer on top than a factor that makes the flavor seem weaker. I'm getting a bit of a Laphroaig vibe here, albeit fruitier and without the peat. The spices, smoke, fruit, malt, meat, vanilla, and whatever else combine nicely here to make a tasty youthful dram. It's a touch light, but it mostly tastes like it's happy being how it is and it doesn't have any rough edges. F: Vanilla, hickory smoke, apples. Maybe faint spices and pork loin. Some minerals. It's a fine enough finish. No problems here, but nothing that exciting either. - Conclusion - This is really tasty and gives me a lot of faith in Corsair. They have some great creativity over there and it works a decent amount of the time. That said, side by side, I'd take Laphroaig 10 (17-18/23) over this. The Laphroaig is bolder (despite being lower proof) and it has some greater maturity that I enjoy. The Laphroaig may be a bit more muddled (if only it were a few percent higher proof), but it's overall profile is more appealing to me. I don't know though - there really is some nice flavor here. That layer of vanilla adds some hedonism that helps this retort to the smokiness of the Laphroaig. I'm a bit more torn than I initially thought. Compared with Amrut Peated (17/23), it's a tougher call. I think that the two are about neck and neck, but I'm really going back and forth. Corsair Hydra (19/23) seems surprisingly closer to this than I feel like it should. The Hydra is less malty with more of a focus on leather and dark fruits. I get some more complexity here and the higher proof does show (I wish that the Hydra were bottled at a somewhat higher proof), but I find the Hydra's profile somewhat more appealing. I have no doubt that the Hydra is better, but is it really 2 points better? I'm inclined to say yes, but I could be convinced otherwise. Well, I'm going with a 17 for this. It's very good, but it could use some work. I'd like a version with a but more depth from more time in somewhat mild barrels (not first fill). Some time to interact with the air. I'd be interested to taste what a touch of peat did too. Regardless, this is getting a 17.

Strong mesquite barbeque smell, sweet and smoky. Taste isn't quite as good as it smells, but it's still good. It tastes just like barbeque, medium tail with the bbq sweetness morphing into a smoke. Bit of a one trick pony but points for uniqueness.

Rating: 16/23 I strongly suspect that I overrated this last time, but I'm hopeful that it's still very good. N: Smoky for sure, but certainly not peaty. There's a tart-sweet fruitiness that reminds me of apples. There's also some meatiness coming from the smoke (which smells like hickory with and apple with hint of mesquite, but maybe I'm just primed for barbecue). Some maltiness comes through, but it isn't very strong or complex, suggesting youth. With the tartness, sharpness, and lack of subtlety, this definitely smells like a young whiskey aged in a hot climate. Not a super complex or hedonistic nose, but it's solid in both dimensions and also interesting, so I give it a thumbs up. P: Yeah, it's lighter and younger than I recalled, but it isn't excessively young or uncomplex. It lacks that deep, rich, mature complexity of the likes of Ardbeg Corryvrecken or Uigeadail, but there's still a fair amount going on here. This is more like Amrut Peated - It's strong and fairly young, but not in a bad way. It has that tartness of hot aging and a sweet smokiness (no peat). The tartness and sweetness give it a nice sweet apple flavor. It tastes a bit like barbecue pork ribs. I suspect that the apple sweetness combined with the smokiness and bit of meatiness from the malt is giving a little bit of a ketchup flavor. The alcohol is a bit sharp, but I wouldn't say it's harsh and it is 50% ABV. A bit more complexity would be nice to balance out the sharpness, but I don't begrudge it. F: It mellows out on the finish. The smoke becomes more subdued and the apples become more floral. The meatiness remains as well. The apple sweetness and floral character remains long into the sweetness, but the smokiness keeps it from being too light, bland, or grating. Unfortunately, I have to say that I misrated this before. I gave it a much higher rating than it deserved. This is still a very good an highly sippable smoky whiskey, but there are plenty of others that surpass it in a reasonable price range. It for sure has that BBQ smokiness going on and I definitely get some pork ribs with BBQ sauce, but I don't want to overemphasize how strong that flavor is. This is smoky, but not peaty. It has solid complexity and maturity, but it has nothing like the subtlety of many other peated whiskeys and I'd place it below both Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigideal. It's still very good and worth considering at $50, but unlike with the Corsair Grainiac, I wouldn't feel that bad if I could never buy another bottle. I like it and it is interesting, but I think that its youth is holding it back. I like where it's going, but it's kind of rough. The complexity is decent, but not really impressive. I do enjoy sipping it though, so I think it earns itself a 15. It could be a 16. It's very borderline between the two. It seems about a point below the Corsair Buck Yeah because of its youthfulness and brashness. It's also about a point behind Amrut Peated, though I could belive two. I realize this is a weird comparison, but they're both smoky whiskies aged for short durations in hot climates and the malty richness in the Amrut puts it oddly sort of between the Wildfire and Buck Yeah in profile, so it's a useful yardstick. I wonder if last time when I gave this a 20 the bottle had benefitted from oxidizing for years in the bar or if my palate was just totally off that night. Hopefully, my bottle will improve, but it has already been open for a few months, so I don't have high hopes. This is kind of young and brash tasting, but it's also decently complex, interesting, and tasty. I considered giving this a 15, but right now I'm going with a 16.

20: This smells stronger and less sweet than the Corsair Triple Smoke. There's a strong turmeric note that is not common among whiskies and gives this and Earth, western feel. Smoke is definitely there, as is a bit of pork loin. The palate is very smokey with a strong alcohol harshness and sufficient malty sweetness to balance the turmeric flavor. It tastes kind of chocolatey, but there turmeric keeps it grounded in barbeque. There is more malt than expected. There is some moderate apple fruitiness that goes well with the pork and there is also plentiful vanilla. There's a little licorice hanging out in here, but it is a playful amount and is sweetened by some toffee. This is smoky with some meaty barbeque for sure. Its flavors are very good and balanced very well. It's rich and the high ABV keeps it from tasting too mild. It kicks up the triple smoke yo deliver a rich sipper that is also sweet and meaty. There's enough spice to stand its ground, but it isn't painful. It has elements of some nice barbequed ribs, but it is less astringent and has some more sophistication. This is really an impressive drink. Corsair has raised the bar here. The mineral flavor just tastes like barbeque and the apple goes perfectly with the pork. From all angles, this tastes good. Great success, Corsair. Magnificent complexity and balance.

Definitely a fire in my mouth