Old Elk Blended American Whiskey Cigar Cut Island Blend 750ml

Description

This is the second annual release of Old Elk Cigar Cut, crafted entirely by Old Elk’s Production Manager, Melinda Maddox, designed to “extend summer with every sip, while embracing what fans of the category want seasonally.” It’s a rather complex blend of Old Elk’s Cask Finish Series, blending Old Elk’s base whiskeys, including the High-Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Straight Rye Whiskey, and Straight Wheat Whiskey, before finishing them in Port, Sauternes, sherry, or rum barrels. The whiskey is aged a minimum of 6 years in its initial cask, then casks are variously finished for two months to two years before the final marriage occurs. Just as its recipe would suggest, it’s a hearty and complex whiskey, though the nose kicks off as rather rustic, with a surprisingly bold peanut and popcorn quality that I would have expected to see washed out by this point. Notes of black pepper, a heavy dousing of baking spice, and some anise ring the edges, but otherwise the nose feels familiar and traditional. The palate isn’t particularly “islandy” at first, though the rum finishing becomes more evident with time in glass. Coconut, tropical fruit, red berries, and vanilla are all emergent and expressive, with sweet honey notes lingering on the finish. Touches of lemon brighten things up. In the end, I guess the “island” does come out of its shell, though it takes a bit of time getting there. It’s worth the journey. 111.7 proof.