Whiskey Review: Fitch’s Goat Corn Whiskey

Bone Spirits was founded in 2010 under the leadership of Jeff Peace and Joe Alecci. Alecci, an enviromental consultant, was previously sent to St. Croix to study the effects of distillery waste on the surrounding Caribbean Sea. In order to learn about the waste, he had to first learn about the distilling process, which made him an accidental, de-facto expert on making booze. Alecci returned to Texas and made rum in controlled batches to study the waste effects. Right around the time Alecci’s study ended, Peace moved to Texas looking for a location for his personal passion project distillery. Once Alecci and Peace met, Alecci made the transformation from environmental analyst to head distiller.

Peace, however, comes from a background in other types of liquid promotion. Prior to starting his own distillery in Smithville, Texas, he helped launch some major non-alcoholic drink brands including Glacier Water: “100 times distilled, diamond filtrations. I knew they were all frankly gimmicks. Smoke and mirrors.” When turning his passion to spirits, he decided to go with an angle that spoke with more integrity, embracing the motto of “every drop from scratch.”

The whiskey’s label that I’m reviewing here, Fitch’s Goat Corn Whiskey, touts Peace’s use of ‘locally-sourced, fresh-milled’ corn, which is processed and distilled on-site at his distillery. The corn for this whiskey comes exclusively from Texas (their bourbon also uses rye, sourced from nearby Oklahoma) and the spent grains go back to local farmers for use as livestock fertilizer. After the Texas corn is turned in to whiskey, it is aged for at least two years in uncharred oak barrels.

Tasting Notes: Fitch’s Goat Corn Whiskey

Vital Stats: 97 proof. 100% Corn Whiskey distilled from locally-sourced, fresh-milled corn. $35/750ml.

Appearance: The whiskey pours a clean yet uninspired drab shade of sun-toasted hay. It expresses plentiful viscosity with movement of the liquid throughout the glass. The legs run thick and slowly down the interior walls. There is just something a little off-putting about the lack of brightness and specific color that make this dram look, well, dirty.

Nose: Deep initial inhales bring a sinus-stinging heat up though the nasal cavity, and cause the eyes to water somewhat. Once the senses adjust here, some softer aromas arise. There is a sharp, spicy, cumin-like note that seems unique-yet-appropriate, and it leads off trailing scents of cinnamon, peanut skins, and Amarena cherry. The sharpness of the booze and the almost sweat-like aroma are a bit angular, but they become a larger part of the more cohesive pie with further sips and palate adjustment.

Palate: The structure of this whiskey is strange once it hits the physical palate, expressing both a thick slickness on the tongue and a thin middle-body which allows the booziness of this particular pour to overwhelm. There are nice moments of vanilla, caramel, and almond brittle in the mid-sip, but they are bookended by the floral, dank spiciness and hot alcohol presence that interrupt the enjoyment of what seems like some successful underpinnings. The long, lingering finish present post-booze washover is one of neutral oak, a mouth-drying, slightly buttery, slightly dusty woodiness that we’ve seen many times before.