Properly, now, this caught my eye when it arrived unannounced—not least as a result of I do know an Ownby in Tennessee. (He’s a very good man.)
earlier than I say extra about James Ownby Whiskey, let me provide just a little backdrop.
Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinberg, Tennessee, has been going gangbusters since Joe Baker based it in 2010.
I wrote of the corporate in Moonshine: A Global History, as Ole Smoky is an instance of twenty first century entrepreneurism. They drew on household historical past and spawned a spread of latest ‘shine merchandise primarily based on ones which were made illicitly in Tennessee for who-knows-how-long.
For a time, Ole Smoky centered sole on ‘shine merchandise that it offered in jars (e.g., Lemon Drop), a bunch of which I attempted and loved. The subsequent frontier for Ole Smoky is whiskey, and so they have rolled out a lot of flavored ones: rootbeer, mango habanero, peach, and so forth. In addition they promote lower-proof flavord whiskeys, certainly one of which is Cookies and Cream. (I’m not joking.)
With this new James Ownby whiskey, nevertheless, Baker is enjoying it straight. It is a 94 proof straight whiskey, with no flashy flavors added. Right here he’s not enjoying to the beginner whiskey drinker—he needs to promote to the intense hooch hound. (Like that Ownby man I do know.)
I approached this spirit with some apprehension. Making good whiskey isn’t simple—small goofs can throw the flavour off. However Ole Smoky did properly right here. Is it just a little fiery? Yep, which I anticipated. However it reveals attention-grabbing flavors: nuts, nougat, feint banana, char….
It is a younger tasting whiskey, however a really promising one. I completed my glass briefly order. Give it a style!
