is quite pointed, bringing the evil acetone to the forefront, and there’s a sweet/sour contrast in the nose, too, which imparts an overall minor but present buttery vanilla note. There is also a faint hit of freshly cleaned pool here. I was not surprised after tasting to be overwhelmed with a harshness on the is extremely herbal, with hints of lavender, mint, and a heavy note of dried black tea. There is obviously rye here, and a more familiar smell draws me back in to the experience after the weird bourbon. The first thing I notice is that the rye is both very dry and harsh on the
. The flavors that are there are classic and oak-heavy, but they dissipate quickly making room for a flabby mouthfeel and out-of-balance alcohol heat. Further sips unfortunately let the good flavors wash away and leave the drinker with repeated hits of a bitter, chemical-like flavor and film on the tongue. Notes of freshly cut hay and cabbage linger. Score: Tasting Notes: Orange County Distillery Aged Rye Whiskey 91.4 Proof. Distilled from locally grown grains. Aged 6 months. $40/375ml. This sample pours a more golden yellow color, and seems slightly more viscous. There is a slight orange glow about it, which makes it a very attractive pour. Initial aroma is extremely herbal, with hints of lavender, mint, and a heavy note of dried black tea. There is obviously rye here, and a more familiar smell draws me back in to the experience after the weird bourbon. The first thing I notice is that the rye is both very dry and harsh on the palate. There is a nice salty crispness that I associate with rye, and a mega-intense alcohol burn to boot. The overall experience feels dusty, and there isn’t much silky or smooth about it that provides any balance to this desert in a glass. Further acclamation to the liquid starts to bring fusels in to the aromatic profile, and makes things a little more messy. This rye feels birthed before its time, but has potential. Score: Tasting Notes: Orange County Distillery Single Malt Whiskey 94.6 Proof. Distilled from locally-grown peat-smoked barley. Aged 10 months. $40/375ml. Solid orange pour with some viscosity haze and dainty, quick legs. My first impression of the smell of this single malt leads to the immediate image of an ashtray, dirty and overstuffed, that sat in the rain for days. Then I remember there’s peat smoke to it, but it’s there without any of the other complexities that, say, a peaty Scotch typically has. Once my mind adjusts to the stale, one-dimensional peat aroma here, it’s no longer gross – just uninteresting. The combination of sweetness and smokiness as it is found here creates a very odd flavor once first hitting the tongue, one reminiscent of moth balls, buttered popcorn, and cigarettes all mashed together. Continued sips bring the weird peat-without-iodine flavor to the forefront and it keeps going with a long, astringent linger. I think the only successful application for this product would be mixology, where other ingredients can be added to mute the rough edges and take advantage of these big, messy flavors in small doses. Score: Final Thoughts The whiskey in these bottles has value, but not nearly as much as the branding that Orange County Distillery has created to promote it. Our current world is one in which the source of what you ingest is of the utmost importance. People will choose to buy OCD’s products for this reason, but flavor should be truly be the determining factor in such purchasing. And overall, how do they taste? Not very good. Keep your eye on the rye for improvement and potentially a longer aging time in the future. I’d probably bite on a two-year version of that product.
