Whiskey Del Bac Dorado Mesquite Smoked Single Malt

90 proof, tasted neat. Copper color and good coating legs in the glass. Nose is wood smoke, char, and sweet grain, light vanilla, and just a hint of chili pepper spice. Mesquite smoke like a bbq/smoked piece of meat in the mouth. Leather and vanilla oak over the top of sweet grain cereal and spicy sweet grass. Rich and full and mouth coating, with some ethanol warmth. Finish shows the light astringincy of that smoke and oak, as well as light baking spices, saline, and sweet charred chiles. Long and tingling and coating. An ice cube smooths and makes this drink sweeter, less spicy... but the mesquite remains. This really hits all my preferences--the smoke, sweet grain, and spice. Hate to say, I like the mesquite as much (or more) than peat. Maybe that's my western prejudice and scent memories--mesquite smoke hanging in cold winter air. Or maybe I'm just used to peat, tired of it, appreciating something similar but new and assertive. I'm guessing others won't like this as much for that reason, and that's ok. Gotta know what you like and your own biases. For me, this is a familiar terroir statement, and I don't see what others call artificial smoke flavors. It's breaking new ground (alongside Balcones), and it's a good American single malt whiskey.

If you like imitation smoke, bitter spiciness, and a burn in your gut, you might like this.