Robert_McKay
Oregon Spirit Straight American Wheat Whiskey
Wheat Whiskey — Oregon, USA
Reviewed
October 18, 2024 (edited October 20, 2024)
There aren't, as far as I know, a lot of wheat whiskies out there, and of those I do know of, this is the highest wheat - the mash bill is 74% wheat, 18% rye (which some consider in bourbon to be a high rye mash bill), and 8% barley. Those proportions are comparable to a lot of bourbon mashbills, though of course bourbon uses corn as the dominant grain. This whisky is 90 proof, five years old, and cost me $31.99 for a fifth at Total Wine. In the glass it's a dark copper.
NOSE: The first thing is a huge burst of caramel. This is by far the dominant note. Then come a little eucalyptus, butter, honey, something that might be coconut, and something that might be Dr Pepper. That sounds like a horrible mishmash, but it's a very pleasant nose in reality.
MOUTHFEEL: Average - neither conspicuously thick nor conspicuously thin.
TASTE: Honey, cinnamon, a hint of eucalyptus, and caramel.
FINISH: Eucalyptus, red pepper, chocolate underneath, and a lingering pepper. The first notes go away pretty quickly, but that last pepper stays for a long time.
SUMMARY: This whisky is totally different from anything else I've ever had. The gentleness of the wheat lets the rye shine through, but the barley prevents the rye from dominating. Thus you get sweet and vegetal notes together in a unique and pleasant combination. This is good whiskey, and I'll absolutely buy it again.
RATING: In my hick whisky scale, which numbers 1-8 from bottom to top, I give this a 6 - Fine. That's the same as 3.75 stars, 75/100, or 7.5/10.
31.99
USD
per
Bottle
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