Whiskey Del Bac Dorado Mesquite Smoked Single Malt

Rating: 13/23 This has has a ton of time to age in the bottle with a whole lot of air. Bottle kill tasting. N: Rich and full with smoke carrying that mesquite barbecue bitterness, roast meat, apple, minerals, and vanilla. The scents are a bit brash and at odds with each other and the youthfulness does come out. It reminds me a bit of Corsair Wildfire, but less balanced and mature. P: Smoky yet sweet with barbecue leading into ash tray with a bit of grassy herbaceousness and tartness underneath that bleed into apple and then vanilla. There's minerality that makes the palate kind of light and there's somehow still also a bit of a youthful bite (though I don't taste the alcohol). It's oddly brash for something that has had so much air. The maltiness shows, but it's just another weird flavor sticking out. F: Malty sweetness with apple leading into bitter-tart smoke and grass. It's all still kind of a jumble. - Conclusion - So this is definitely not a 15, unfortunately. I'm thinking somewhere in the region of a 13. OK, wait a second. I just threw out the bottle and glanced at the top of the cork. It says "B: D19-3" and on the line below it it says "D: 01/19". Now, I first tried this bottle in July 2019, so I'm thinking this looks a lot like it's saying this was only aged for 2 months?! I'm quite impressed if that's the case. Though, if it is, I'm very frustrated that they didn't give it some more time. Just 2 months?! What if it had had a year!

This was a unique one. I did a blind tasting between this, Cedar ridge single malt and JJ Neukomm cherrywood smoked single malt. It was obvious which one was which. This tastes like you dripped grease from your backyard bbq into the glass. It's so heavy and oily with the mesquite influence. It really is slow roasted bbq in a glass. The first sip is like homemade smoked beef jerky and then the olfactory senses kick in with heavy char, cherry, grass and salted butter. A single malt to remember. A welcome addition to the American single malt category.

Sweet, delicious, smooth, great flavor with the mesquite

Strong campfire smoke

Smoke comes bellowing out at you upon the first whiff. I get a hint off mesquite and BBQ underneath the smoke, but it is difficult to find. Further down you start getting some chocolate notes as well. The smoke sticks to your upper palate upon first sip, while the thinner vanilla and honey notes wash over the tongue. The mesquite smoke lingers at the finish as well, kind of like breathing in a campfire too deeply. I'm sure there are some out there that would enjoy this, but definitely not something I would crave, ever.

BBQ sauces, cherries and mesquite. Solid amount of quality smoke. BBQ meats and grilled fruit. Some warmth and a great oily feel. Great finish.

Nose - smoked meat, mesquite, apple sauce, butterscotch, marshmallow, orange zest, vanilla, cherry, floral and vegetal notes, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - mesquite, vanilla cream, baked apple, smoked meat, cherry, butterscotch, orange blossom, lemon, sweet floral notes, nutmeg, cinnamon, sour oak, black pepper, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with mesquite, smoked meat, and citrusy apple flavors. The nose is BBQ with a side of apple sauce. There are some floral, vegetal, and citrus notes as well, but not much else. The palate is a bit better, with baked apple and citrus accompanied by salty, thirst-inspiring smoked meat. This has the unfortunate task of following my tasting of the excellent Whiskey Del Bac single cask Lost Lantern bottling. As expected, they share many characteristics, but Dorado is but a shadow of its cask strength counterpart. While not bad, it tastes overdiluted and young, with a rather short, unceremonious finish. If I hadn’t tasted the Lost Lantern yesterday, I may have liked this more. But alas, it’s just better than average for me. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the sample!

Mesquite for sure but not overwhelming, cola flavored bottle cap candy, deep and rich, oak tannin finish.