Whiskey Del Bac Dorado Mesquite Smoked Single Malt

Tonight we're gonna try something different. In light of standalone tasting notes and a rating, I thought I'd take varying combinations of the bottles in my collection and those of my friends and do an occasional head-to-head series, where I taste and compare two bottles of similar provenance that often get lumped together in the same category (think heavily peated scotches or barrel proof bourbons). Hopefully this helps you, the reader, to decide which bottle is best for you if you are faced with choosing between two equally delicious but different options. Tonight's lineup: Whiskey Del Bac vs. Colkegan Category: American Single Malt Style: Mesquite Smoked Single Malt Age: 2-3 years old Price Point: $50-60 USD Tasting Setting: Neat, Glencairn glass, rested for 5 minutes before nosing, both bottles approximately half full Nose: The nose on the Colkegan is subtle, gentle. There's an earthy, grassy quality to it, with just a wisp of smoke, belying what is underneath, and right at the end is a minty/menthol note. The Del Bac by comparison comes bellowing out of the glass with a meaty, briskety aroma leaving nothing to the imagination as to what you're about to experience. To compare it to a peated single malt, the Colkegan is reminiscent of Caol Ila, and the Del Bac is Lagavulin. Palate: Colkegan arrives gently, with a creamy mouthfeel. There's a lower percentage of smoked malt in this one, and it's aged at a higher altitude than Del Bac (Santa Fe vs. Tucson). The smoke shows up on the mid-palate on the Colkegan, but it doesn't overwhelm the malt, but rather is integrated, again, like Caol Ila. When the Del Bac hits your tongue, you get a big blast of that mesquite smoke. It's like walking into a smoky Texas BBQ pit where they've been smoking meat non-stop since the 19th century. It coats your mouth, and while you can taste the malt in this one too, the smoke is much more prevalent without being drying. Finish: The Del Bac lingers on your palate for a while, which is curious since Colkegan has a slightly higher ABV (45% vs. 46% respectfully). The smoke from Del Bac isn't drying, but it has a slightly numbing effect as it sits in your throat, which keeps the smoke on your palate longer. The Colkegan doesn't linger quite as long, and the smoke dissipates before the finish. What you're left with is a lovely, malty aftertaste similar to and Irish single malt or Lowland Scotch. Final Thoughts: Two excellent malts! You can't go wrong with either, but it's unwise to think these two are the same, no more than two malts from Islay are. The Del Bac is for those of you who love big, bold, smoky malts like Lagavulin, Ardbeg, or Laphroaig. The Colkegan is more the speed of Caol Ila, Highland Park, or BenRiach, where the smoke is more equally integrated throughout the dram. These two are often held up as the standard bearers of Mesquite Smoked American Single Malt, though there are other up and comers, such as Andalusia Stryker and Ranger Creek Rimfire. In terms of availability, I don't believe either one currently (as of January 2020) has national, much less international distribution. I bought the Colkegan while on a business trip in Albuquerque, and I had my local whisky shop special order the Del Bac for me (which is a luxury I'm afforded by living in whisky-crazy Austin, TX). There's a lot of competition for your whisky dollar, especially from the craft corner, and I feel like a lot of them aren't good VFM. These two are. When the craft distilling bubble inevitably bursts sometime this decade, I see these two surviving. They're among the best of the American Single Malts, and I predict that the southwest will be to American Single Malt one day what Islay and the Islands are to Scotch. Good hunting, and enjoy the journey!

It has a super smoked smell - like that woody smoke for smoking meat (hickory, mesquite, cherry). This is a totally weird drink based on smell. It's meaty and sweet and smokey and herbal (some licorice is in there). It's fascinating. The flavor is a bit subdued, as is standard for American Single Malts. It's very rich with a lot of that woody smoke. If you're looking for something meaty, this is a good choice. There is some definite spiciness going on here, making this a bit harsh. It would be great if there were a bit less of that. There's a little apple going on here and there are also some chipotles. There's herbal notes given the smoke more robustness It's very interesting and rich, but it's a bit too in your face, sort of like Laphroaig 10, but sweeter with more of a smokey wood flavor that includes some black peoper and rounds it out. It's still weird though. There is sort of some balance but also this disjointed element where cereal comes through and it becomes a normal single malt. Coming off of low-grade bourbon and brandy, this has an appealing meaty smokiness with some allusions to peat on the nose. The palate is still very smoky with strong bitter elements that are reminiscent of peat, but it's not inherently bad. The sweetness is there and it balances the meatiness well. This reminds me a bit of Lagavulin 16, but it is not as well balanced. I get rendered pork mixed with cherry, apple, and liquid smoke. There are some other flavors of minerals, flowers, mild herbs, and so on, but I want to pause on that liquid smoke flavor because the problem is that it tastes artificial rather than like char from a barbeque. There's also some more sweet and fruity elements than makes sense for such a smoky drink that is trying to be meaty. It isn't bad, but it isn't a great sipper. This is not great in comparison with other malt whiskey, but it's actually pretty good following bourbon. It's sweeter with a lighter caramel taste them most bourbon and it also has some floral and light fruit notes that suggest Irish whiskey (but are not excessive), but it's also very smoky with a bitter herbal kick. In that mindset, it's not bad, but it is still harsh with some flavors that don't marry super well. It tastes a bit young. Mixed with some more lightly toasted American Oak, this might be really good. As it is, there is a nice finish, but it will punch your taste buds silly.

Rating: 13/23 This has has a ton of time to age in the bottle with a whole lot of air. Bottle kill tasting. N: Rich and full with smoke carrying that mesquite barbecue bitterness, roast meat, apple, minerals, and vanilla. The scents are a bit brash and at odds with each other and the youthfulness does come out. It reminds me a bit of Corsair Wildfire, but less balanced and mature. P: Smoky yet sweet with barbecue leading into ash tray with a bit of grassy herbaceousness and tartness underneath that bleed into apple and then vanilla. There's minerality that makes the palate kind of light and there's somehow still also a bit of a youthful bite (though I don't taste the alcohol). It's oddly brash for something that has had so much air. The maltiness shows, but it's just another weird flavor sticking out. F: Malty sweetness with apple leading into bitter-tart smoke and grass. It's all still kind of a jumble. - Conclusion - So this is definitely not a 15, unfortunately. I'm thinking somewhere in the region of a 13. OK, wait a second. I just threw out the bottle and glanced at the top of the cork. It says "B: D19-3" and on the line below it it says "D: 01/19". Now, I first tried this bottle in July 2019, so I'm thinking this looks a lot like it's saying this was only aged for 2 months?! I'm quite impressed if that's the case. Though, if it is, I'm very frustrated that they didn't give it some more time. Just 2 months?! What if it had had a year!

Now that I’ve acquired a proper bottle of this stuff it’s time to do a proper review. Boy do I love mesquite smoked single malt. I feel like nothing captures the spirit of the American West like this style of whiskey. I already have a bottle of the Colkegan from New Mexico and High West Campfire from Utah, and now with this bottle from Arizona, I’m closer to the smokey four corners collection (looking your way Colorado. Maybe Stranahans has something cooking up...). The nose here is just beautiful. Mouth watering even. The mesquite is more present here than on the Colkegan, I suspect because of a higher percentage of smoked barley. I get meaty, briskety note along with campfire, a little leather, and an almost creamy note. Taste brings just the right amount of smoke along with a coating, creamy mouthfeel. Letting it sit on my palate a while reminds me of the last cigar I smoked (which was admittedly a long time ago. One vice at a time...). The finish lingers and leaves a warm embery glow in your mouth enticing you to go back for more. I didn’t add water because it went down plenty easy at 45%. A little hard to find (one liquor store in all of Austin had it), but definitely worth the effort. Their brand rep at the tasting I attended said they’re starting to expand their distribution further so hopefully it shows up on y’alls shelves at some point in the near future. Cheers!

90 proof, tasted neat. Copper color and good coating legs in the glass. Nose is wood smoke, char, and sweet grain, light vanilla, and just a hint of chili pepper spice. Mesquite smoke like a bbq/smoked piece of meat in the mouth. Leather and vanilla oak over the top of sweet grain cereal and spicy sweet grass. Rich and full and mouth coating, with some ethanol warmth. Finish shows the light astringincy of that smoke and oak, as well as light baking spices, saline, and sweet charred chiles. Long and tingling and coating. An ice cube smooths and makes this drink sweeter, less spicy... but the mesquite remains. This really hits all my preferences--the smoke, sweet grain, and spice. Hate to say, I like the mesquite as much (or more) than peat. Maybe that's my western prejudice and scent memories--mesquite smoke hanging in cold winter air. Or maybe I'm just used to peat, tired of it, appreciating something similar but new and assertive. I'm guessing others won't like this as much for that reason, and that's ok. Gotta know what you like and your own biases. For me, this is a familiar terroir statement, and I don't see what others call artificial smoke flavors. It's breaking new ground (alongside Balcones), and it's a good American single malt whiskey.

Nose - smoked meat, mesquite, apple sauce, butterscotch, marshmallow, orange zest, vanilla, cherry, floral and vegetal notes, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - mesquite, vanilla cream, baked apple, smoked meat, cherry, butterscotch, orange blossom, lemon, sweet floral notes, nutmeg, cinnamon, sour oak, black pepper, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with mesquite, smoked meat, and citrusy apple flavors. The nose is BBQ with a side of apple sauce. There are some floral, vegetal, and citrus notes as well, but not much else. The palate is a bit better, with baked apple and citrus accompanied by salty, thirst-inspiring smoked meat. This has the unfortunate task of following my tasting of the excellent Whiskey Del Bac single cask Lost Lantern bottling. As expected, they share many characteristics, but Dorado is but a shadow of its cask strength counterpart. While not bad, it tastes overdiluted and young, with a rather short, unceremonious finish. If I hadn’t tasted the Lost Lantern yesterday, I may have liked this more. But alas, it’s just better than average for me. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the sample!