Review 180: Stranahan's Colorado Whisky Batch 96

In my last review I tasted the rather excellent Batch 109 from Stranahan's (90/100). Let's keep things confusing and move backwards to review batch 96! I already like this batch, because it was distilled on 10/10/10, apparently while Fleet Foxes were playing. 

Stranahan's Colorado Whisky Batch 96

Color: Amber +1

ABV: 47%

Aroma Neat:
Herbaceous, Fresh Caramel, Tobacco Tar, Aloe Vera, Honeyed Vanilla, Salty Toffee, Evergreen Needles (soft), Wet Leaves, Baking Sourdough Bread/Yeast, Malty Liquor (you know, a 40oz, and I mean that in a good way... somehow). 

Curiously herbal, much more-so than Batch 109. I think this is new-make spirit showing though, but what wonderful and complex new-make it is! Remember, whiskies as young as two years old can go into a batch of Stranahan's. There are a lot of woody sweet notes though, thanks to the newly charred casks used at the distillery.

Aroma Water:
Dust, Soft Ash, Chocolate Syrup Milkshake/Cocoa Powder, Herbaceous, Aloe Vera, Peppermint (very slightly), Salted Caramel, Barley Mash (very malty), Dry Vanilla Bean.

Softer than neat and more chocolatey. A pretty decent nose, imo.

Taste Neat:
Honey, Honey Wheat Bread (exactly!), Burning Rubber/Tar, Talcum Powder (very mineral, mineral water), Fireplace Ash, Cactus Flesh, Yeast, Seasoned Oak, Searing Fat.

Honeyed, but thin seeming on the palate. Not as full-bodied as Batch 109 (ah, Batch 109...). A little off tasting, with notes of desert succulents and fat. 

Taste Water:
Honeyed and Chile Powder, Peppered Cactus, Spicy Cedar Wood, Dry Grain, Yeast, Stale Sourdough Bread, Cocoa Powder.

Bready, spicy, interesting. I can't say it's my favorite profile though. The different tastes don't really integrate well, sadly.

Finish:
Tobacco Ash, Cocoa Powder, Dry Vanilla, Stale Bread.

Dry, ashy finish that continues to deliver bready notes. The bread note is now, perhaps appropriately, stale.

Conclusion:
Interestingly herbaceous, spicy, and bready. 

A crazy hybrid whisky, somewhere between scotch and bourbon.

Not composed or "easy" whisky. A bit inharmonious.

Rating: 79/100

I'm sorry to say that this bottle of Stranahan's Batch 96 doesn't live up to the truly delicious Batch 109. I'm an optimist though, so I interpret this as evidence that Stranahan's is improving. So what if I only have two data points? In any case, it's nice to see a distillery coming out with better and better whiskies as time goes on. So often nowadays, many distilleries seem to be moving in the other direction.

Don't let this review put you off Stranahan's! They make great whisky there. Hell, this Batch might be someone's favorite, which is the great thing about the small batches the distillery outputs. Variation is good thing! For me though, I'll have a dram of Batch 109 over this (or most other whiskies) any time.

Cheers!

Josh