Slab Town Whiskey

House Spirits recently unveiled their Slab Town Whiskey, after 4 years of maturation. It’s a light straw-color, with a fair amount of sugar or glycerine revealed by its long, slender legs.

Nose: There’s a nose of wet grain and wet hay or grass, with some suggestions of sweetness and nuttiness rising along with a mild alcohol nose.

Taste: Prominent tastes are of malt, barley and wheat, somewhere between Grape Nuts and Cream of Wheat. Very smooth and soft in the mouth, especially for such a young whiskey. Although it does have some of the spicy flavors you can find in rye, it’s definitely sweeter and softer than most ryes would be. I also note a little sweet caramel and molasses and a touch of dried cherry.

Finish: The finish is dry, and a bit woody and resiny, but it’s still mostly a long finish of barley and other cereal characteristics, ending with a bit of nuttiness reminiscent of hazelnuts. By the end, the glass is coated as if it has syrup running down, and I am enjoying a pleasant lingering warmth.

Notes: It’s a nice sipping whiskey for rain-drenched Portland evenings, and I look forward to experimenting with what short supply I have in cocktails like The Slab Town Limited.

Slab Town Whiskey, (House Spirits, Portland, Oregon) 80 proof, $26.00 at the distillery

(Sample provided by Ms. Boozenik’s wallet)