Oregon Spirit Straight American Wheat Whiskey

Bread on the nose. Raisins in the mouth.

Sweet grain on the nose. Sweet cereal, raisins, and vanilla, then wood comes on in the finish. Tannic aftertaste. Lighter body and color. Descent wheated whiskey, but average at the price.

On the nose there's just the faintest hint of an anise seed note I personally dislike, but it's not too off-putting here. It's sweet and a little vegital on the taste. Not dusty corn, more dry moss, maybe. There's just a pinch of spicy smoldering on the finish, which is otherwise long with fallen leaves perhaps. When I first tried it a few months ago, it got relegated to use in Whiskey Sours (for which it's actually excellent), but it's growing on me. A pleasant experience on its own, and I'm glad I gave it another try neat.

Bold bourbon flavor with a honey finish

Very full flavor. Common butterscotch on the nose with vanilla hints. Easy sipping with a mellow finish that hints of honey

Oregon Spirit Straight Wheat Whiskey is produced in Bend, Oregon by Oregon Spirit Distillers, a proud "grain to glass" craft operation that opened up in 2009.  They source their grains locally and mash, ferment, distill, and age on-site in charred, new American oak barrels.  I ran into this bottle while traveling through the Northwest over the holidays and hadn't seen it before.  However, a bit of research afterwards tells me at least some of their various offerings have nationwide distribution now so it may not be impossible to find if you wish to seek it out.  For tonight, I'm tasting this alongside Heaven Hill's Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey (my previous tasting). Mash Bill: Undisclosed, but described as "100% locally sourced grain" and predominantly winter wheat with "hints of rye and malt barley" Age: 4 years ABV: 45% Price: $39.99 Nose: Sweet and soft. The first whiffs hit you like you just opened a sweet, funky bag of raisins.  With time (I do recommend you give this some time and air), this opens up to reveal a surprising bouquet of charred oak, toffee, anise, buttered bread, new leather, and an earthy-botanical funk. It's definitely carries more heat (and funk) than the Bernheim Wheat Whiskey I'm tasting this alongside. Palate: Sweet, velvety, and mildly spicy.  A bit of heat.  Lots of toffee, anise, fennel, yeasty bread, charred oak, and more earthy funk.  The rounded, velvety mouthfeel is still light, but a bit more substantial and oily than the Bernheim.    I feel like there's more rye in the mix than they are letting on (perhaps our definitions of “hints” are different). Finish: Medium length, velvety, sweet, oily, and dominated by black licorice and barrel char.  Soft, friendly, mouthcoating astringency.  I like the balance of oak - while I was initially a bit skeptical of 4 years aged in the cooler climate of Bend, I'd wager they employ some quality barrels and barrel management schemes. Neither flimsy nor over-oaked. Overall Impressions:  I'll be honest, I went into this tasting with exceedingly low expectations.  And while this craft wheat whiskey isn't going to rock your world, its actually pretty good and I'm digging the uniqueness and funky bits. At it's unfavorable price point though, it's also up against some stiff competition, so you won't find much VFM here (but you will be supporting an independent, craft "grain to glass" operation that supports local agriculture and organic ingredients (where possible) if that's your thing).  I also (blindly) picked up a bottle of their bourbon and gin, but I may have made the mistake of starting out with the most crowd-friendly of those 3.  In any case, I'm really looking forward to contrasting the Oregon Spirit Gin with some of St. George's offerings, and further exploring the influence of Oregon Spirit’s esteemed Cascadian water. I’m floating between a 3.25 (Average) and 3.5 (Above Average), because I think it's worth seeking a pour if you can find it, but I don't think it's a bottle I would keep continuously stocked.  That said, I do know single pot still Irish whiskey and single malt Scotch are my preferred profiles, so I think it's a higher bar for me to keep an American whiskey or bourbon on my shelf.  I'm giving Oregon Spirit Straight Wheat whiskey a 3.25 and a point over the Bernheim for its uniqueness.  3.25 ~ 79 ~ Average