Whiskey Review: Brother Justus Cold-Peated American Single Malt

Brother Justus Cold-Peated American Single Malt landed on my desk at 43% abv or 86 proof. Here is what I found.

Nose

43% abv or 86 proof. Distilled and bottled from 100% Minnesota malted barley, less than one year old. Color: Light amber It’s a young whiskey and it is evident in the nose. There is some sugar from the grains and distillation process, or maybe not sugar but an acidic sweetness from a neutral spirit. I found notes of black tea and currant, some clove, and unsurprisingly, some earth tones.

Palate

It’s not like anything I’ve ever tasted before. It’s clearly a young whiskey and it drinks like a neutral spirit. It heats the chest and coats the mouth with a tingling sensation. I really couldn’t find many distinctive notes with this to be honest. There are whisps everywhere, but nothing really lasts for me. Some barley notes, some clove, some tea, a little salt, leather, maybe a citrus rind. There was clear charcoal and oak in the taste though.

Finish

This needs time. To its credit it is something I’ve never tried before. I think there is merit to this process and the results could be really intriguing. You can really smell the earth notes through the peat and I think if given time to mature in cask you would really enjoy the body of the whiskey.rnrnHowever, at less than one year of aging this just tastes like a neutral spirit. I think this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this process, and I look forward to greater age statements. With some real time in casks, this is when I believe we will really see what this whiskey can do.

The Bottom Line

Brother Justus Cold-Peated American Single Malt did not quite work for me. in this category.