Whiskey Review: Benjamin Chapman 4-Year Corn Whiskey

s. This is a bottle that’s made for Mad Men, honestly; it’s pleasingly squared and solid and the cork comes off with a pop champagne bottles would envy. “The label’s subtle textured lines conjure the fashionable tweed suits of the early 1960s, while the gold foil motif represents the traditional gold cuff links and men’s jewelry often worn in that era. An intricate diamond pattern lays vertically over a rich ruby red, recalling a silk tie motif popular in Benjamin Chapman’s day,” claims a release. And who was Benjamin Chapman? No one knows. He’s an international man of mystery. Part of the cognoscenti. (I’m pretty sure that’s the only time I’ve used that word in a review…or perhaps ever.) Could he be a shadowy marketing promise conjured in an ad agency’s lab? The product a brand name generator spit out? Again: No one knows. While I am intrigued by (and a little attracted to) the spiffy fellow this branding tale conjures up, I wonder about the whiskey. My colleague gave the 7-year a shrug, but would the 4-year break out? Benjamin Chapman 4-Year Corn Whiskey (image via Carin Moonin) Tasting Notes: Benjamin Chapman 4-Year Corn Whiskey Vital Stats: Mash bill of 80% corn, 11% rye, and 9% malt; about $36; sourced and produced in the U.S. using Kentucky limestone water; aged four years in oak. Appearance: It’s light. Like, extremely light. Like a white corn tortilla that’s been barely toasted. Like a marshmallow that evaluates the fire and then retreats.