BlindSight: Shenk’s Sour Mash (2019)

Quick stats

·      Name - Shenk's Sour Mash, 2019 Release
·      Age - none stated, finished 24 months in French Oak
·      Proof - 91.2
·      Price
-Shelves $50 – $70
-Secondary $95 – $150

Summary
·      Color - Light copper
·      Nose - fruit, herbal (dill, mint), caramel
·      Palette - low intensity, cherry, spice, oak,
·      Finish - medium length, spicy and dry
·      Conclusion complex nose, palate is lacking
·      Rating: 5/10 = “Would buy for home bar, but would not insist upon buying backups. 

Detailed Notes and Thoughts

This whiskey shows a lovely copper color. Upon picking up the glass, I first pick up fruit, cherry and almost banana esters. Eventually, I detect herbal notes of dill and a hint of mint. This is rounded out by some caramel, and overall is a fairly intense nose even with the low proof.

On first sip, I again see some of the cherry, but here I mostly pick up baking spice and smooth oak. The palate is not very complex nor intense, compared to what I would expect from the nose. The finish is simple, balancing sweet caramel with dry oak and spice.

This was poured blind for me, and I am glad to have tried it without judgement. I thought the nose was very intriguing, complex, and fun to decipher over time. However, the palate and finish were simple, lacking the same richness as the nose. I would have happily added 10-15 more points to the proof. Ultimately, this bottle is good but nothing spectacular.

Hindsight:

For $50-60, I think this makes for a fun bottle to try, but searching the internet, it seems that people considered $90 a deal as prices ranged up to $150. It is a shame that this has been swept off the shelves by the hype--a casualty of these wild times.