Copper Fox Original Single Malt

[8.31.21] Remind me next year to say no to board presidency. Driven to drink, I was looking for something new and found this bottle from our trip to Williamsburg mid-COVID. Can't remember what I paid for it but it was worth it. Batch 167, 96 proof. Drink this at room temperature. [If you ice it, metallic and oxidized flavors (think bad homebrew kit) overwhelm the flavor profile. (I debated if my ice was bad, but my kids tell me it's fine.)] But this is a dang fine smokey malt that is sweet on the front end that sours until it's bitter on the back like the end of a cheap cigarette. Simple, not too salty or floral, not extravagant barrel complexity. Just American single malt, start to finish.

An intense, American Single Malt Whisky by Rick Wasmund, founder of Copper Fox Sperryville Distillery in Virginia made with barley developed for them by Virginia Tech. The grain is smoked & dried with local fruit woods instead of peat, before being aged up to 18 months in ex-Bourbon barrels & was finished with toasted applewood. It has an aromatic birth with notes of smoke, suede, honey, olive tapenade & dried fruit chutney; while a complex life led to a long & spicy death with hints of marmalade, apple, root beer & rye toast. July 2020 / August 2022

Not sure what all the negative reviews are about. Perhaps it’s just from a different batch, but I quite enjoyed the bottle we got. (Batch 151, purchased in 2019.) I found it had the smokiness of a peaty scotch, while still have some sweetness, and a hint of fruit notes. My girlfriend, who hates peaty scotches, enjoyed it as well. Was thinking of ordering another bottle, but looking at the more recent reviews, I’m rethinking that.

This is possibly the worse whiskey I've ever tasted. I think the problem is mostly related to their drying process. Way, way too much smoke. I can imagine it's similar to what an arsen investigator would smell walking into a burned house. I might try blending some of this with a lighter Scotch single malt to get through the bottle, but otherwise, wish I hadn't bought it.

Fresh smell like lemongrass or something green, hay. Also has a light taste of hay. It has a lot of heat up front, and smelling it burns my nose. But it dissipates quickly. I think it mellows well and gets a little sweeter with water. I’d probably prefer it with water always, which is rare for me… 3 without h2o, 4 with h2o.

I'm not impressed, I mean if you like the taste of leather, this one's for you! Not a subtle hint of leather, it's a full hand slap with a leather glove on. Being from this area of VA, I'm disappointed in this whiskey, and the price is quite high ($45) for what you get.