Whiskey Del Bac Classic

Whiskey Del Bac Classic

Cost: $60 for a 750mL bottle at the distillery

Age: NAS

Proof: 92

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Reviewed neat in a glencairn.

Appearance: Light sherry color, thin slow legs.

Nose: Very sweet. Bright fruit. A little brown sugar and licorice even. There’s a very defined maraschino cherry note as well.

Palate: Rich, sweet fruit, on the front end; a mix of cherry, plums, and fig. There’s a bit of honey as well, tapering into a little bit of spice on the backend (think warming spices like clove, cinnamon and ginger). This is thick and syrupy on the palate at first, but just like the flavors shift, so does the body and it becomes a bit thinner on the backend.

Finish: Sweet, tannic oak, and maraschino cherry syrup linger. There is a drying effect on the palate, but it is quite a contrast to the supple fruity notes on the palate. There’s a pretty heavy hug that spreads through the entire chest and a mild burn in the back of the throat (surprising for only 92 proof).

Rating: 7.3/10

Overall: The flavors are very much my speed! I like the sweetness, love the red fruits, and adore the hint of spice. I am surprised by the strength of the hug and the burn for only 92 proof. In a way, it’s nice because it makes it feel like a much heavier sip than it is. At the same time…it feels like a much heavier sip than it is… The main reason for my score not being higher (as I'm not bringing up many detractors here) is there's just not a enough complexity to bump it up higher. It's fantastic for what it is, don't get me wrong! But for me, you can be a fantastic whiskey but if you're missing complexity that some of my more preferred whiskeys have, you'll wind up in that 7.0 - 8.0 range even if I have nothing bad to say about the flavor profile. (Complexity is king for me - send my taste buds and sense on a wild ride and you'll definitely get a solid score.)

I’m really impressed by Whiskey Del Bac’s offerings. The Classic was the original whiskey made by the master distiller and founder of Whiskey Del Bac back when he was just distilling for his family *cough*essentially bootlegging too*cough*. This is very reminiscent of a non-peated Scotch, but a little darker/deeper flavors and not quite as florally.

Behind the Bottle: There’s a WHOLE story about my venture to Whiskey Del Bac that you can check out in my review of Whiskey Del Bac Normandie. Whiskey Del Bac Classic is basically the cornerstone American Single Malt Whiskey for Whiskey Del Bac. A lot of what they make is centered around this recipe. Their Dorado is generally regarded as more unique and favorited by people I know (it’s basically the same thing as the classic but the malt is mesquite smoked – giving it that smokiness similar to (but very different from) a peated Scotch). However, I personally like the Classic better than their Dorado. While I 100% agree that it’s not quite as unique as mesquite smoked malt, the notes and flavors of the classic just vibe with me better.

Whiskey Del Bac is making some awesome whiskey. They need to expand faster because I would LOVE to be able to pick these up in South Carolina!

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