Whiskey Review: Cut Spike Single Malt (Nebraska)

Sweet and mellow, cool mouthfeel, soft burn. Flavors reminiscent of hard butterscotch candies, mildly floral, not much spice, solid oak presence, lots of caramel, toffee, and more charred oak on the back end. Surprising from the young nose. This drinks much more mature. Solidly in the rich and sweet end of the spectrum. The finish is a medium burn in both intensity and duration. Notes of prunes late in the aftertaste. Conclusion: Perhaps a single malt out of Nebraska may initially strike some people as odd, but experience has taught me that the American Midwest has some gems to offer in this category of spirit. Cut Spike brings to the table a whiskey that drinks far more mature than its age statement would imply. The challenge for me was navigating the nose, which I found to vary from unbalanced to overwhelming at times. I had hoped that this would become less of a distraction as my opened bottle had time to breathe, but as of yet this has not made much of an impact. The flavors, mouthfeel, and finish are delightful, however. This is a solid whiskey worth spending some time getting to know beyond a first impression. FINAL SCORE: 84/100