Kinsip Wild Oak Whisky
Two Kinsips - Part II
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Review by @talexander
- Brand: Kinsip
- ABV: 47%
This one they call Wild Oak. Kinsip describes it as "bourbon-style" and is a blend of corn, wheat, rye and malt, matured for 3 1/2 years in American oak. 642 bottles.
The colour is a medium toffee. Very young and estery on the nose, with chili spice, oak tannins, mint and artificial vanilla extract. Tangerine and green apple. Cinnamon. Lots of corn here. Water brings out more mint and tames the esters. Complexity but a bit too young.
Like the Maple Whisky, hot on the palate with freshly ground black pepper, black liquorice, toffee and maple. Canned apricot. Hint of butterscotch. Creamy mouthfeel. Better with water - still spicy but not as hot, creamier, more butterscotch. As good a 3 1/2 year old whisky as you can imagine.
The finish is astringent with mouth-pulling oak, sage and allspice. When they were 66 Gilead they bottled a Wild Oak (pictured - the new label is much more elegant) which was dreadful - this bottling is definitely an improvement. It doesn't have much in common with the Maple of course, except that their youth is just far too upfront. Although I'm not giving these great scores, there is loads of potential here - I have a feeling we're going to see some really great stuff once their whiskies are more fully matured.
Interesting.
Is it 4 grains mashed and cooked together, like bourbon, or a blending of 4 separate whiskies made from 4 separate grains, like Canadian blended whisky?
What is the oak used? New oak, re-used bourbon or Canadian oak, or a combination? Is the oak charred?