Shenk’s Homestead Whiskey 2019 Release

Shenk’s Homestead Whiskey 2019 Release

Michter’s Kentucky Straight Sour Mash Whiskey

45.6% ABV/91.2 Proof

NAS

Eye: Nice orange-caramel color. Thin rim bleeds syrupy and droplet legs.

Nose: Corn sweetness and a mild burn. Can smell the mixed mashbill, not too sweet or spicy. Deeper sniff reveals more wheat scents.

Palate: Fruity, especially grape (both natural and artificial flavors). A pleasant burn that sticks around. Vanilla and wheater notes emerge. If there’s rye in here it’s very muted. Mouthfeel is a little chalky, even off-putting, like how your tongue feels after eating a Necco wafer. Slightly drying, too. Reaches every corner of your mouth.

Finish: Back-of-the-throat spicy can’t conceal the chalky tones. 

Overall: There’s promise, but ultimately this feels totally unbalanced, like Michter’s/Shenk’s couldn’t decide whether this should be rye- or corn-forward (or wheat, for that matter) and as such things got muddled. I’m left feeling like they should have chosen a direction and run with it rather than allow the flavors to become chalky.

Rating: 4.5

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)