Spirits of French Lick Psyche Smoked Gin
When Alan Bishop – alchemist of the Black Forest of Indiana and the head alchemist and face of Spirits of French Lick Distillery – announced his departure earlier this year, the universal reaction was to ask who would take his place. After all, Alan had been with French Lick for the better part of a decade and had become synonymous with the brand, often being more recognizable than the brand he was representing.
The person stepping into his place would face numerous challenges: reestablishing the brand as a brand and not a person, continuing the commitment to respecting the grain while forging their own path, and retaining at least some of the devoted following Alan had built both as part of the brand and on his own.
Consider those big shoes filled.
Justin Whaley, a long-time apprentice to Alan, has taken the reins and run with them. While it will be several years before we see whiskies that are 100% his own, he’s had a hand in French Lick’s work for a while now and is as intimately aware of their resources as anyone.
So, what does one do when you produce a product that takes years to age but need to make a statement right away?
You make a gin. And that’s exactly what Justin did.
Introducing Psyche Smoked Gin, a light-on-the-juniper American-style gin using the traditional Lee Sinclair 4-grain mashbill of corn, wheat, oats, and barley. For this, the wheat and oats were malted and smoked with barrel staves from Spirits of French Lick’s own barrels that had held Mattie Gladden bourbon and catawba-based Sonroho brandy. This lends a very slight but still noticeable woodsmoke that suffuses throughout the palate subtly on each sip, barely showing on the nose at all.
The mash is cooked and brought up to 190º, at which point the botanicals are added (including juniper, lemon peel, caraway, coriander, sweet cinnamon chips, cocoa nibs, grapefruit peel, and star anise). The mash was then left to naturally cool over three days before yeast was pitched, the fermentation going for eight days after that. Per Whaley, the star anise stayed in for the ferment but was removed prior to the distillation, and cherries were not in the fermentation but were added via an offset gin basket during distillation. A single pass distillation followed, with Whaley making cuts based on sensory analysis alone to balance botanicals, grain, and smoke.
This, to me, is why gin can be so much fun and is worth an adventure or two for us whiskey nerds. Anyone interested in terroir, in getting the character of the base spirit, and in upping their tasting game, should take a gamble on some gins. Start simple – no need to kick off with Monkey 47 (the number of botanicals). Start with a local distillery making gin with local ingredients, or perhaps a gin like this with around 10 botanicals or fewer. See what you taste before knowing what’s in it, then see what you taste after. Don’t be afraid of the juniper, either – most American style gins lean away from the juniper-forward London Dry Gin style of Tanqueray or Beefeater.
Better yet, grab a bottle of Psyche and see what you taste. Maybe you’ll get the smoke on the nose where I didn’t, or more cherry on the nose and less on the palate. I didn’t get the black licorice from the star anise until the finish – perhaps it’ll burst out to your palate.
I don’t know about you, but I was getting tired of writing similar notes for whiskies across the spectrum – you can only say vanilla and baking spices so many times, even if they’re accurate – and exploring different spirits like gin can reinvigorate your palate.
It doesn’t hurt when that gin reinforces your love for a distillery, telling you it’s in new but very capable hands.
Side note: thank you to my friend Jake at @comingwhiskey for making me aware of this gin, and to Justin for providing the details.
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Spirits of French Lick Psyche Smoked Gin: Specs
Classification: American Gin
Producer: Spirits of French Lick Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: Unaged
Location: Indiana
Spirits of French Lick Psyche Smoked Gin Price: $40
Spirits of French Lick Psyche Smoked Gin: Tasting Notes
Eye: Clear. Thin rims with long, thin legs and small droplets.
Nose: Moderate juniper notes, drying and spicy. Black cherry ice cream. Mixed citrus peel with both pith and skin. Sour oranges and a hint of super dark baker’s chocolate. Tinned pineapple rings, sweet and tart.
Palate: The smoke is so delicate I had to search, but it’s there. The cherry is the powerhouse, sour and sweet varieties being present, leading right into dark chocolate for a cherries jubilee kind of vibe. Moderate proof heat on the mid-tongue doused quickly by a rich and creamy mouthfeel that coats the tongue front to back.
Finish: Leaves a textured, eggshell-like lacquer. The smoke grows in the corners of my mouth, with black licorice popping up on the end of a long finish.
Overall: The smoke is much more subtle than I expected, but it’s there enough to be called a smoked gin. The fact that it’s not in your face is perfectly fine, as the other flavors get to play after the initial juniper note (which is barely there on the palate). A classic American-style, find-your-own-ingredient style gin with elements of Spirits of French Lick infused into each drop.
Final Rating: 7.1
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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All opinions and reviews are of the author and are not subject to review prior to publication.
