Initial Thoughts
I’m always excited to try out new whiskies that hit the market. For the last few years I have seen the Original TINCUP whiskey sitting on shelves in my local liquor store and I would toy with the idea of picking up a bottle, yet never did. I’m not quite sure why. I think it’s the idea of the unknown. I’m much more adventurous with cigar smoking than I am with my whiskey purchases. I think my thought process goes something like this, if I buy it and spend $40 on this bottle and don’t like it, I’m gonna have to drink it at some point. I can’t just pour it down the drain. With a cigar I smoke it and it’s gone or I can nub it out half way through.
Regardless of my ramblings, TINCUP has a released a new 10 year aged version of their original blend! I was lucky enough to get a sample bottle to try it out and review. A little back story behind the TINCUP brand:
“Created by Jess Graber, an authentic mountain man with 40 years of whiskey-making experience, TINCUP 10 is a blend of rye, corn, and malted barley. Distilled in TINCUP’s classic style and aged for 10 years in American oak barrels with a #3 char, it is then cut with Rocky Mountain water for a smooth flavor profile.”
Straight from the mountains that are rocky! One thing that I love about this whiskey is the entire essence of the brand that goes with it. If you go to their website you can see how they really incorporate the mountains and everything about it into their brand. They’re very authentic to their roots.
This TINCUP 10 Year whiskey is bottled at 42% alcohol and will soon be available nationwide for $54.99. Let’s jump into it and see what all it has to offer!
Looks
As I mentioned above this TINCUP 10 Year whiskey has a great feel for the brand. Looking at the bottle it’s a unique hexagon shaped bottle. If you read about the design on the website, it’s designed that way so that the bottle won’t roll away from you easily. You know if you’re sitting out on the edge of a mountain. Makes a lot of sense if you ask me. The other unique part of this bottle is the actual Tin Cup at the top of the bottle. So you can pour just the right amount and sip on it while you’re taking in your surroundings.
With this new expression they changed up the color of the TINCUP at the top of the bottle though. Instead of being the traditional silver, not you get a matte black finish with red lettering to let you know that this whiskey sat in the barrels for 10 years. I think it’s a nice change up, while staying consistent with the original branding.
The whiskey that is actually in the bottle gives off a nice glowing amber hue to it as well which provides a nice contrast with the packaging. Alright, enough about the outside of the bottle. Let’s dive into what’s actually inside and where it counts!
Flavor
Nose
Right out of the gate I’m able to pick up on some Cinnamon notes through my nose. There are also some backing notes of honey and trees either cedar or oak. Somewhat difficult to distinguish. Overall a very pleasant aroma that this Tin Cup 10 Year whiskey gives off.
Palate
On the first sip I pick up a nice sweetness on the tongue. Digging in a little deeper I pick up on a slight note of pepper and some raisins. It delivers a good dose of heat especially when drinking it neat rather than on the rocks. Drinking it neat really lets this whiskey shine with the full flavors rather than watering it down some.
Finish
The finish is not too long nor thick but offers a few notes particularly that cinnamon note comes back around and also that expected note of caramel lingers around and makes it a nice complex profile.
Conclusion:
Overall, I really enjoyed this TINCUP 10 Year whiskey. My first glass I put it on the rocks and it tasted a little watered down to me and I wasn’t able to get all the flavors out of it that I was hoping to. So the next night I poured a glass neat and sipped on it and it was much more robust and flavorful. I certainly think this whiskey is worth purchasing and it was a delight to drink. I just wouldn’t put it on ice. You can store the bottle in a freezer or sit it in the snow this time of year to chill it down, just don’t water it down!
So if you’re scared or timid about pulling the trigger and trying new whiskies at your local spirits hopefully this review curbed some of your concerns around that idea and convinced you to give this Tin Cup 10 Year whiskey a shot.
