By Richard Thomas
Ranking: B+
(Credit score: Good Fifth)
The Good Fifth is an American negotiant agency, in any other case recognized within the US as an Non-Distiller Producer (NDP) or impartial bottler. Began by Karl J. Schoen in 2019, the corporate operates in acquainted territory for such an enterprise, as it’d function in Scotland or Eire: most of their choices are their very own single cask bottlings of fairly mature and even ultra-aged single malts and American whiskeys. These are a well-recognized web site on choose New York Metropolis whiskey bars, with their expressions on restricted retail distribution across the US.
Most such firms, even within the US, additionally delve into making their very own blends and The Good Fifth is just not one of many exceptions. Normal by famous whisky creator Jim Murray, Oran Mix No. 1 and No. 2 is billed as 50% malt, 50% grain and 50% ABV. Nevertheless, on this occasion the creation of the Mix No. 1 and Mix No. 2 weren’t supposed to develop gross sales past the attain of discrete batches of single cask choices: every mix had a manufacturing run of simply 465 bottles, about as a lot as a typical middle-aged single cask providing would yield.
Mix No. 1 is constructed on a spine of two ultra-aged grain whiskies, one 21 years previous and the opposite 34 years previous. The opposite half is a mixture of small dollops of malts from Ardmore, Glen Grant, Miltonduff, an unnamed Orkney malt, Outdated Pulteney and Tamnavulin, starting from 12 to 24 years previous. That vary of inventory was aged wholly in ex-bourbon barrels. Setting the energy at 50% ABV ought to solely enlarge its attraction to American palates, that being the 100 proof mark mandated for standard bottled in bond whiskeys.
The Scotch
The whisky has a vivid, gentle gold coloring, which is suggestive of simply how the ultra-aged parts of the mix lean so closely on ex-bourbon barrel aged grain whiskies. The nostril lets the fruity facet, coming throughout as apples, lead, with an accent of malty honey. Behind which might be traces of inexperienced pine needles and burnt gunpowder.
The palate carries considerably extra weight than the sunshine scent, however not a lot that the fruity facet fails to retain the lead. The flavour is ahead with its pears, honey and caramel, with hints of ash, cake spices and oak coming alongside behind. The end is a brief one, combining a contact of butterscotch with a sliver of wooden.
The Worth
The Good Fifth has set the value on this blended whisky at $189.
