Review #232 - Found North Batch 008
Found North uses a specific component of each of their blends as the central structure - it will often have a strong impact on the flavor profile of the final product. In the case of this Batch 008 blend, that central component is a rye whisky which was aged in an ex-Madeira cask. Madeira, a sweet fortified wine from Portugal, could potentially add some dark fruit flavors to this whisky.
As always, the full breakdown of the whiskies involved in the blend is on their website:
18 year old rye whisky aged in ex-Madeira casks
19 year old rye whisky aged in Hungarian oak barrels
22 year old corn whisky aged in new American oak barrels
23 year old corn whisky aged in new American oak barrels
23 year old corn whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels
26 year old corn whisky aged in Hungarian oak barrels
Found North Batch 008
USA/Canada - Blend
Price Paid: USD 160 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 160 (2024)
Age Statement: 18 Years
Strength: 62.2% ABV
Cask Makeup: Hungarian oak, new American oak, ex-bourbon barrels, ex-Madeira casks
Details: Batch 008, 2,925 bottles; not chill filtered, no color added; mashbill of 87% corn, 12% rye, and 1% malted barley
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, and 80% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Rich, sweet and dark - an overwhelming note in the beginning of plums, blueberries, sugar-coated blackberries, and rye spice. Time brings aged notes: leather, sharp tobacco smoke, sweet oak, and very dark sugars - brown sugar, more sugary blackberries.
Palate: Super juicy dark fruits - blackberry, raisin, grape, even syrupy cocktail cherries. Extremely dense dark oak, which transitions to savory cigar smoke and some molasses. Cranberry sauce, raspberries, and brown sugar - the sweet notes continue. There's also a decent amount of rye in here, with spice like black pepper, but also herbal qualities - peppermint and hints of eucalyptus. The mouthfeel is thick.
Finish: A very long finish, with warmth from the bottling strength and some balanced oak, adding sweet sugar notes and a hint of woody smoke. Peppermint, purple fruits, cayenne, cigars, hints of orange - this has it all. Very oily, the syrupy mouthfeel lingers for a long time.
Final Note: Wow. It's amazing how strong the influence of that rye component is in the blend, when the Madeira-finished rye was only 4% of the blend, and all of the rye involved is only 12% of the mash bill.
The nose is rich, and the palate is an explosion of sweet and mature flavors, with a heavy emphasis on fruits and old smoky oak. One of the best whiskies we've ever tasted, without a doubt.
Our Average Rating: 9.2 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.75
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