I have been looking forward to getting my hands on Silverbelly Whiskey. Bottled at 91 proof and priced at $40, it promises genuine character.
Nose
In the bottle: extremely pale gold. In the glass: barely there. It reminded me of the manilla paper they used to give us in second grade to draw on and which received the misnomer of vanilla paper. Also, my glass had flecks of cork after pouring. It happens, I suppose, but I fear this will not set us up for success as my fave Peloton instructor likes to say. As with the color: barely there. I poured more in the glass to see if that would procure a scent. It did not. I sniffed deeper. I have not ever been close to paper pulp, but I have lived near a paper mill. This smells ever so slightly like a benign whiff of that aroma on days the wind would blow just right. Otherwise, there is truly nothing there. I find this impressive, actually. Its like a scented version of those quiet rooms that will drive you insane if you spend too much time there.
Palate
This is..unpleasant. I have tasted moonshine of dodgy origin; that tasted better. This tastes like whiskey that someone had to hustle off the fermentation track. Whiskus interruptus. Not only does it look and smell completely unaged, it tastes that way, too. If I strain, like really, really, really strain, I can distantly locate some elements of caramel, but again, its more like sweetness that has just barely begun to caramelize. More like sugar cubes youd feed a horse.
Finish
I wanted to let the whiskey speak for itself. But it had nothing to say. It has been said that Jackson was seeking a whiskey that worked for everyone. My concern is that, when trying to accommodate everyone, you accommodate no one.rnAs an aside, when tasting it, my boyfriend wandered in, tried a sample, and said, All hat, no cattle. Enough said.
The Bottom Line
Silverbelly Whiskey did not quite work for me. At $40, I would steer you toward other bottles that offer more for your money in this category.
