One American craft whiskey I’ve long had my eye on is OYO Double Cask Oloroso Wheat Whiskey from Middle West Spirits out of Ohio. Problem is, the whiskey wasn’t being distributed outside of that state – until now. That’s very cool, and I now look forward to trying out this interesting spirit.
OYO Double Cask Oloroso Wheat Whiskey first debuted as a limited-edition release from Middle West back in December, 2014. At the time, it was described as an Ohio-grown wheat expression aged upwards of five years, spending the bulk of this time in American oak before being transferred to ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 12 to 18 months of finishing – a good length of time, by American craft standards anyhow.
As for exactly how this plays out in terms of taste profile, here’s how Middle West explains it:
Quick whisky question
Single malt is everywhere, but what does it mean? We want to know what the word “single” means to you. Three quick questions, under a minute.
Oloroso Wheat Whiskey is crafted from the finest Ohio-grown wheat and aged for several years in lightly toasted American white oak barrels, where it develops hints of vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The mature wheat whiskey is then transferred to sun-drenched Oloroso Sherry casks, where it acquires rich, nutty notes of black cherry, dark chocolate, and raisins.
This whiskey, bottled at 51% ABV, is now on its second release at retail. Originally appearing in just Ohio, as I said, it now seems to be popping up at retail in New York, with a retail price of at least $80 a bottle.
It should be noted as well the OYO Oloroso Wheat Whiskey has already gotten some notice in the industry, having been named Best Grain Whiskey at last year’s International Whisky Competition in Chicago.
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