Found North Batch T8ke-01 "Smokeless"

Found North Batch T8ke-01 - “Smokeless”

Cost: $120 via SharedPour.com

Age: Blend of 12 year – 26 year components

Proof: 120.4

Mash Bill: 70% corn, 29% rye, 1% barley (derived)

This bottle was acquired through the r/Bourbon single barrel program. It is a blend of 12+ year old whiskies finished in apple brandy casks, Amarone wine casks, ex-Scotch casks, Hungarian oak, and ex-American oak casks. This is Found North Batch T8ke-01 (a.k.a. Smokeless), Blend 21, Bottle 438.

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

Appearance: A deep wildflower honey in color; thin, slow legs and beads beautifully on the glass.

Nose: A sweet nose with a blend of honey, brioche, and a sweetly, acidic Granny Smith Apple. There’s a rye spice lingering in the background. This is a complex nose that gives no indications of its 120.4 proof.

Palate: This has a wonderful mouthfeel as it rolls around on the palate. There’s a slight cooling sensation that I get, almost like menthol, but it’s velvety and viscous at the same time. At first, I get a lot of caramel, some cherry and butterscotch, and generally bright sweetness with a slight acidity. But that bright front end fades into more earthy notes such as a light oak note (surprisingly, not more dominate for how old this blend is), leather, tobacco, and barrel char.

Finish: I get a hearty sting square in the back of the throat that quickly transitions into a hug starting high in the chest and just slowly expands to warm the whole chest cavity. It’s really the mellow tones of oak, leather, and barrel char that linger the most, but that note of slightly sweet and acidic Granny Smith Apples returns from the nose here.

Rating: 8.4/10

Overall: I’m very conflicted on how to rate this one! On one hand, this might be the most complex whiskey I’ve had; if not the most, definitely in the top 3. It's not "crazy" complex either, it's complex in an almost "planned" sort of way. However, the flavors just aren’t completely jiving with my preferences. I’m not a big fan of green apple, but I’m getting that throughout. There’s also a general feel of heat when you consider the entire sip, but when you analyze each individual part, it doesn’t stand out. On the other hand, the palate was so interesting! How it transitions from what is a bright, sweet and “youthful” profile at the beginning to a more mellowed, earthy, and “aged” profile at the end…very fun and complex! Loved that! I think if the flavor profile was a little more my speed, this would easily be a 9.5 or maybe even a 10. However, it falls a little short because of my particular preference in flavor. (Swap that Granny Smith Apple for a maraschino cherry, cherry cordial, fig, plum, or even apricot and I would probably be jumping to buy all that’s left of this batch.)

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect