Slaughter House American Whiskey

I've been looking for this one for YEARS after enjoying the younger Straight Edge wine barrel finished whiskey from Splinter Group. Tasting neat. Rich aged copper color with good coating legs in the glass. Ripe stone fruit nose hits you from feet away--peach, cherry, over-ripe grapes, and sweet vanilla, with a hint of oak. Fruit, agave and/or light maple syrup, with vanilla oak and light leather up front. Grassy and peppery spice flavors show up in the middle and really bloom with light tannins through a long, dry, and fruit-sweet finish. This is a beautiful wine barrel finished whiskey, maybe too much fruit for some tastes. A soft mouthfeel and yet enough grassy and oaky tingle to keep it interesting. Not burnt sugar sweet, but fruit and maple/agave sweet. California wine country terroir, spot on. I've been sipping this for a week and enjoy it more every evening. At 9 years in oak plus time in Orin Swift California wine barrels for $40, found in the wilds of western Colorado, I wish I had grabbed TWO, but... I think there was only one dustie on the shelf. Better to savor.

Aroma - apples and caramel dominate the nose. Oak and vanilla are secondary. Decently balanced and quite nice. taste- port, port and more port. Huge watered down effect in the middle then the heat arrives a minute later. Interesting… unique… not sure I’m a fan. Overall- Probably best consumed as a post dinner beverage. The port and bourbon seem to clash a little bit here though more than I would have liked. At 44% I’m surprised at just hot much heat remains on the lips. The port quality is a huge punch in the face but the heat ends up as the victor. Honestly… save your money. This would be fine to purchase if you had a big family get together where some members like wine/port/bourbon…. It’d be a nice offering in that setting. But if it’s just you… not worth it. There’s a time and a place for this.

I may not be American, but I like most of the world is hooked into seeing how this election plays out. I thought Slaughter House American Whiskey would be an appropriate pick for this evening's festivities. This nose starts rough, but eases up after a few minutes, letting malty tones shine through. The heated slap in your chest post-first drink eases the anxiety of scrolling for ballot results. Later sips feature oak and caramel with fairly thin body. For the amount of early bark Slaughter House provides (...like certain politicians), the finish lacks bite and resolves smoothly. Given tonight's complicated landscape, I appreciate how straightforward this whiskey is. 8/10

The label offers zero information at all but I took a chance on it while traveling. It was $65+ in that shit hole state of California so it’s probably $50 in the real world. The juice is good, nay, great. The wine influence is very prevalent but it’s not cloying, doesn’t overpower, works with the whiskey well and really adds a nice “Jammy” punch. Like a blackberry cobbler. The label looks like it was pinched from a winery run by a millennial with a minimalism-obsessed girlfriend, but despite the fact it offers up less transparency than a Joe Biden press conference, I kind of like the unassuming nature of it. Definitely worth it. Even at shit hole Cali prices.

This is probably the most appropriately named whiskey ever! It’s unique and so, so good. Seriously, it’s a flavor that reminds of bourbon paired with an expertly prepared medium rare steak. Think blood red, like a deep red wine. Compared to other bourbons at this price point, it’s very smooth and sip worthy with a distinctive taste that’s very enjoyable but with a surprising aftertaste thats a semi-dry red wine. It’s strangely delightful and very addictive. It’ll change your palate without threatening your safe space. Avoid their boring Straight Edge and dive right in to a very memorable dram that’s well priced and might possibly increase your appetite for animal.

Poured neat. Nose gives a pleasant mix of caramel, white chocolate and a touch of red wine fruitiness. There is a faint twinge of wood and Red Vines in the background as well. Mouth feel is oily, and the wood picks up quite a bit on the taste. Along with that comes notes of plum, baking spices, maple syrup and slightly undercooked dough. Mild heat that fades into a leather, tobacco and warm red wine finish.