Single Barrel Malt, No Age Statement, 40% ABV, $50

This is Whisky Advocate’s 2013 Artisan Whisky of the Year. Here’s Corsair’s description of their unique whiskey:

We take three fractions of malted barley, each smoked by a different fuel – cherry wood, peat, and beechwood – to craft this deeply complex whiskey.

It’s a single barrel malt whiskey, not just a single malt (i.e. from a single distillery) or a small batch. This is the smallest of batches.

If you like peated malts, then the nosing is wonderful, rich and different, yet familiar. The aroma is a sweet mixture of rich, intense smoke, tobacco, hay, grass, toffee and overripe fruit, particularly peach, banana and dark cherry. I love the smell of this whiskey!

Wow! The flavors are huge! It starts with tart sweet fruit and transitions smoothly to wood and smoke without losing the sweetness, then introduces spicy ginger and white pepper that slowly fades along with the smoke. The finish is lightly woody with just a hint of smoke and a mildly lingering malt flavor. The fruit on the entry is cherry, banana and ripe peach along with sweet vanilla, honey and toffee. The vanilla and toffee carry through with the spices while the smoke dances around in the background. I’m falling short on the description of this fantastic whisky. It’s fabulous! If you can find it, then get some!