Cask Mates are some of my favorite releases. A whiskey ages, then is pulled out for a beer to age in the cask, just for the whiskey to finish back in the cask. That is the case for this release of Cask Mates from the folks at Mystic Mountain who partnered with their Thornton Neighbors Satire Brewing to release this cask mates whiskey. A corn whiskey aged in unique barrels for two years, then sat in aging tanks with staves while a light but powerful peanut butter stout sits in the barrel. Once the beer is finished, the whiskey then spent 1 more year in the cask. The result is a truly one of a kind bottle that is a ton of fun.
Please note, this bottle was provided to us at no charge for a review to be made.
In the Bottle:
Mashbill:
100% Corn
Age:
3 Years
(2 Before Stout, 1 After)
Proof:
85
(42.5% ABV)
In the Glass:
Color:
Brown/Blonde color, and very hazy or cloudy. Definitely unfiltered.
Without Water:
Nose:
The corn grain notes come through right away, an earthy and farm note with just a bit of sweetness, chocolate, and hints of peanut butter.
Palate:
Right away this whiskey is thick and creamy. There is some sweet chocolate and corn cereal notes right up front. The mid is a bit more mild in flavor, but oily and creamy, still with grain flavors that play very well with the chocolate notes.
Finish:
The moment the sip was swallowed this whiskey exploded. Almost like starting a new sip, the flavors restart with the corn and grain moving quickly into sweet oak and chocolate and then a strong, oily peanut butter that lingers for a long time. Almost like taking a shot of whiskey and then eating a peanut butter cup.
With Water:
Nose:
Still some earthy notes but more chocolate comes through as well. A little bit less corn, but a bit more oak influence comes through with a sip of water.
Palate:
A bit sweeter right up front, but more of a vanilla sweetness with toasted peanut butter. The mid is still very grain forward, with more wood influence of vanilla and more stout/chocolate flavor. It is a little less thick but still very creamy.
Finish:
Much the same as before, but more of the peanut butter cup flavors with toasted barrel notes as well. There is some less chocolate/stout notes, but the peanut butter really stands out. It all plays together very well. However, the finish is shorter with some water added.
Final Thoughts:
This bottle is wicked fun, but be warned that the first sip is very strange, or at least it was for me. I wasn’t expecting the roller coaster of flavors that were coming in with this whiskey. The second and third sip made it easier to tell what I was getting in to, but that first sip definitely took me by surprise. That being said, the flavors play off each other in a way I did not expect in reading the description of this whiskey. I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but this still managed to surprise me in a terrific way.
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