Traverse City Lakeside Peach Whiskey landed on my desk at 35% ABV, $30 per bottle, carrying a $30 price tag. With 3 years of age behind it, Here is what I found.
Nose
Light straw color, very clear. Doesnt look all that viscous, but the legs have some staying power. Strong, obvious aroma of peach ring candies. The whiskey itself is far more assertive on the palate than the nose would suggest. As youd expect from a flavored whiskey, sweetness is the strongest impression, but there is also a noticeable tingle of spice and some tannins that dont integrate all that well with the peachy sweetness that comes back around as a finish. The fact that the aromas I experienced reminded me more of candy than a piece of fruit makes me feel more justified in my questioning about the nature of natural flavors. Both because of how weirdly specific it is and not wanting to turn off readers who may be polarized by the description, Im somewhat reluctant to describe my experience with this glass as akin to a strong, fruity air freshener placed in a cigarette smokers car–but not in a bad way. I cant emphasize that not in a bad way enough. This is far from the worst flavored whiskey Ive ever tried. But, theres something about the way the sweet peach-ring flavoring and the tannic backbone of the whiskey seem to be operating independently of one another, almost on two simultaneous tracks that dont ever completely meet. Neither flavor is unpleasant and their combined effect isnt either, but it also isnt really cohesive.
Palate
Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
The Bottom Line
Traverse City Lakeside Peach Whiskey is fine — not bad, not great, just fine. At $30, I think there are better options in this range if you are willing to look around.
