Last week I was at Whipper Snapper Distillery on the outskirts of Perth, here in Western Australia. Before the cocktail class I had a tasting flight of the Wheat and Quinoa whiskies along with the Upshot, Upshot Cask Strength and Red Corn Upshot. Sadly, those last three were rushed. Fortunately, I live a stones throw from the distillery, I went back today and did another flight with a lot of time to sit, consider, and enjoy. If you feel like scrolling down a little you’ll find my notes on the Wheat and Quinoa that were really interesting liquids and worth the time to track down. The standard offerings from Whipper Snapper are their ‘Crazy Uncle Moonshine’ a new make white spirit, the Crazy Uncle Moonshine Barrel Aged, and then Upshot and Upshot Cask Strength. I added the Upshot Red Corn to the run and here we have todays five… At 63% ABV we have the powerhouse of Whipper Snapper and the last of the progressions from new make through barrel ageing, flagship offerings and now here. I’m excited to see what the extra 20% ABV does to Upshot. Surely nothing but good stuff? N: OK, The ethanol is felt, not lying about 63%. Somehow this feels thinner than the lower proof sibling, less thick and creamy and without pronounced notes.feeling closer to the crazy uncle moonshine new make there is some generic corn sweetness, touches of wood and just the vaguest suggestion of vanilla. P: oily arrival with a pleasant kick of heat. Brown sugar, pecan pie and buttery oak emerge with a developing creaminess (hooray!). Hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. I think this is going to need some water. F: Long. Initially vanilla caramel and brown sugar turning to milk chocolate and lingering warmth. A splash of water and a few minutes to open up is a necessity. The perfumed wood notes loft (cedar/sandalwood), and the creamy buttery wood is felt. The palate relaxes, the initial heat is quelled, and velvety texture with creamy wood, nutmeg, and maple pile on. The finish is pretty much the same. Apparently the flagship Upshot goes into the barrel at 43%, this monster though gets filled at 63.5%. The resultant 63% liquid, too me, speaks of more flavour, more nuance, more depth. Not the case on tasting though in my opinion. The powerful ABV is nice to see but I’m not sure it brings anything to the table. A splash of water brings things down into the realms of the upshot. Nothing added, nothing taken away. I’m not sure what the point of the extra ABV is. Is it marketing? Is it to add another product to the simple offerings but at a higher price point? Is it meant solely for mixing and maintaining presence in a cocktail? Perhaps. Ultimately, I think this is only as good as the lower proof Upshot but the ability to control the delivery through additions of water is a nice touch I suppose. Distiller whisky taste #119