Taste Test: This New Whiskey Is One of the Best Cask Finishes of the Year

Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.

I’m not going to try to sell you on the concept of light whiskey—let’s face it, despite some attempts to introduce this little known category to the masses, it’s still mostly for the hardcore whiskey nerds. And I’m certainly not going to dwell on the fact that this new bottle is meant to be enjoyed with a cigar, because gross. What I will say is that the new 20-year-old light American Light Whisky Cigar Blend Gothic Edition was finished in six different types of barrels—and while that sounds like overkill, somehow it turned out to be one of the best cask-finished whiskeys I’ve tasted so far this year.

Of course, you have to really, really like cask-finished whiskey to enjoy a bottle like this, because those barrels have had a huge impact on the liquid; specifically they are, Cognac, tawny port, tequila, PX sherry, madeira wine, and Awamori. That last one might not sound familiar, but it’s a spirit distilled on the Japanese island of Okinawa that’s made from rice and koji. World Whiskey Society, the non-distilling producer brand behind this new expression, released a rye whiskey finished in Awamori casks last summer, which it said was a first for that particular category. Prior to that, Glenfiddich released Grand Yozakura, a 29-year-old single malt that spent its final six months aging in Awamori casks.

Light whiskey is a fringe category that was created in the 1960s, a time when whiskey had fallen out of favor and people just wanted clear spirits like vodka because drinking was about the destination more than the journey. According to the TTB, light whiskey must be distilled to between 160 and 190 proof (which is very high, more like vodka and less like bourbon), and aged in used or un-charred new “oak containers” (unlike bourbon which must be aged in new charred oak “containers” that are virtually always barrels). There is no mashbill requirement, but MGP—where this whiskey was distilled—often made light whiskey using a 99 percent corn and 1 percent malted barley recipe.

Twenty years is a long time for an American whiskey to age, but light whiskey is more forgiving due to the fact that it can be matured in used barrels. The mashbill for this whiskey is indeed that classic MGP recipe which was aged for 19 years in used barrels and then divided up into those six different casks for a full year before being blended together. The effects of this complicated secondary maturation are wonderfully disparate, chaotic, and ultimately satisfying. The palate explodes with flavor, as notes of chocolate, ripe fresh berries, melted caramel, black pepper, cherry Now and Laters, grape Hubba Bubba, and salty molasses all combine. The whiskey is bottled at 96 proof, a totally reasonable strength that doesn’t overpower all of that flavor. And sure, I suppose this would pair well with a cigar, although I really wouldn’t know and don’t really care that much.

It should be mentioned that the bottle design is pretty silly—it has a gothic, jagged-edge shape and is topped with a gargoyle stopper, making it look kind of like a Dungeons & Dragons prop. But the liquid within is excellent. This light whiskey has been transformed into something completely different, almost like a flavored or fortified spirit, but one that’s just undeniably good. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Score: 95