Review #48 - ASW Tire Fire Cask Strength
Peated American Single Malt Mini-Series: Part 2 of 4
Part 2 of our series looks at a distillery in Atlanta, Georgia: ASW. This distillery crafts a number of different spirits, including bourbon, rye, single malt, Irish-style whiskey, and others like gin and vodka. One of the oldest distilleries in the Atlanta since the repeal of Prohibition, there is plenty of history here, which is reflected in their variety of whisky options. We're most interested in the peated single malt today, which they've dubbed 'Tire Fire.'
There is also a non-cask strength version of this whisky - it comes in at 45.5% ABV, which should still give plenty of flavor, but we want the full blast of smoke, so we're looking at the cask strength bottling. ABV will vary from bottle to bottle - ours comes in at 55.9%. The barley used comes from Inverness, Scotland, and is peated to 45ppm, pushing this easily into the 'heavily peated' category, so it should provide plenty of kick.
ASW Tire Fire Cask Strength
USA - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 60 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 55.9% ABV
Details: Imported Scottish malted barley, 45ppm peat level; not chill filtered and no added color
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 9 months; bottles at 80%, 60%, and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Well, they nailed it with the name "Tire Fire" - this is a massive blast of smoke and burning rubber, it seems pretty unique. Nothing held back - it's heavily smoked barbecue, wood char or charcoal, slightly medicinal, and just a ton of rubber notes. It can be hard to get past the obvious and powerful flavors, but once you do, there are some nice fruit notes here: orange, or some burnt orange peel, a red fruit, and stone fruit as well, though it's light. Lower in the glass, there is a bit of fresh oak and vanilla.
Palate: Very punchy, a blast of peat and smoke again, along with some heat. We're getting charcoal, tar, burning rubber, and ashy barbecue; it's totally untamed. It takes some time to adjust enough to search the palate for more, but eventually you can expect some mild oak, butterscotch, and a sugary oil or some simple syrup; there is some lemon or orange citrus fruit, but it gives way in the end to a little bit of bitterness from the oak, it's slightly acrid. Turns more medicinal with time, and though it's harsh, it can be enjoyable, too. The mouthfeel is thick and viscous.
Finish: Medium-long in length, and lots of smoke and barbecue go on the whole time. There is more oak now, both wood char and some dry toasty oak notes; vanilla and burnt caramel flavors are coming in from the casks, as well. At the end, there is some fruit, like a grapefruit, along with sugary orange candies, but it's sometimes masked by some acidity and bitter oak.
Final Note: What an experience; we haven't tasted anything else quite like this. It is definitely harsh and visceral - this makes most Laphroaig bottlings feel pretty tame. The rubbery note is quite strong throughout, which will turn some people away, but if you're open to trying some new crazy flavors for a unique experience, this may fit the bill. Coming in at cask strength as well, there is no lack of flavor, and in our area, the price is relatively reasonable for the amount of fun you get tasting this bottle.
Our Average Rating: 7.2 / 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: 7.45
