Whiskey Del Bac Classic Unsmoked

Whiskey Del Bac Classic single malt, 46% abv, desert-made in Arizona. Tasted neat... for the third time. Copper color and very little coating legs in the glass. Apples, stone fruits, hint of caramel and vanilla and a little spice dust on the nose. Big flash of ethanol and baking spices in the mouth. Astringent and tannic, oak char, grain sweetness. Finish shows some sweetness and tingling mint and spices, but also an underlying ethanol burn that leaves me feeling like... heartburn. Tried this three different times to figure out what's going on here, and got really consistent results every time. Tried the Whiskey Del Bac Dorado single malt smoked with mesquite and LOVED it (4.75), and then tried the Classic and Dorado side by side. Really different outcomes. While this Classic is OK, it's not in the same class as the Dorado. Or maybe the Dorado's mesquite smoke just hides the distillate or barreling flaws inherent in the Classic. Disappointed... and left with that heartburn feeling. Ice definitely helps this whiskey--don't let your glass leave the bar without some. Update: I've been drinking down this bottle with ice, and I feel a little better about it over time. It shares a hint of the mesquite smoke that makes the Dorado so good IMHO (even though this is an unsmoked malt mashbill). Maybe it's the barrel or barrel char. And an ice cube solved the heartburn feeling. Be generous and call this a 3.0/5.0, a passing grade 60%.

Shoulder pour N: sweetness, pepper, nail polish T: Honey, Powdered Sugar, black pepper. F: vanilla, oak Thoughts: Disappointing, because I'm a Tucson, AZ native and I initially didn't like this very much - I was upset that I bought this...even on sale. But coming back to it, this has improved a full-point. I don't anticipate pushing this to a 3, as I continue to reluctantly drink this - I have over 10 other whiskies open which will easily allow me to reach past this. I hear the distillery is good, especially with their smoked barley offerings. Hope the next one I try redeems my hometown. 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

I accidentally bought this bottle instead of the Del Bac Dorado ( which marketing genius made them look 99% alike???!!). I had some family coming over, and knowing they love Glenfiddich 12, I took a wild guess they might like this. I was right—-was totally devoured. Me, on the other hand, not a fan. Maybe for the same reason that I don’t like Glenfiddich 12...bland, boring, too tepid. Starts off with mild heather /honey combo, some cinnamon, allspice, but fades really quickly. Given that the Dorado is just a bit more, go for that—-it’s so much better ( probably my favorite affordable American whiskey). But—-if you want something safe, non-combative, easy to please masses ( holiday party) go for this.

NOSE Malt, dried fruit, caramel, oak and herbal spice with a hint of mesquite. I know it’s not smoked, but there is a hint of it here, mostly herbally and malty though with light dry oak. PALATE Malt, cocoa, oak, caramel, vanilla, spice, pastries and a hint of mesquite Sweet and touch dry oak, but mostly malty and rustic. There is a “western” feel to it and I get a bit of that mesquite in there. It isn’t fully unsmoked. FINISH Long -> malty, oaky and mesquite cocoa slowly fade out.

Immediately reminded of heating up apple cider on the stove top. A couple dashes of cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and a splash of bourbon. That chest warmth, spices, and vanilla. I get Speyside-like caramel, nutty Sherry (even though it isn’t sherry finished) dried grass, and dense homemade bread...almost banana or zucchini bread. I’m a huge huge fan of the Dorado, but it is nice tasting what Hamilton is capable of without the smoke.

N - vanilla, mint, potpourri, raisins T - woody, caramel, leather, plum F - breezy/mint, tobacco, pepper Included in a Bourbon Charity blind tasting. Voted number one for me out of 5 AZ whiskies. I’m a big fan of the smoked version of Del Bac so was fun to try the classic - found some similar notes too. It was very complex especially up against other AZ distilleries. Sampled at home.