Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Flavored whiskeys are a distinct kind of challenge for me. It’s not just that they taste different than my usual fare, they ask me to answer a different question. With most whiskeys, I’m trying to unlock the flavor profile and pick out the unique notes. There’s no mystery, however, in finding the dominant cherry taste in a whiskey labeled “cherry flavored.” Instead, I have to answer the question of “what can I use this for.”
I find flavored whiskeys to be too overpowering for my preferred tasting experience. Perhaps it’s a limitation of my own palate, but I can never find the subtlety and nuance of flavors that can emerge in whiskey when I’m stuck on a single, intentionally dominant note. While I might still enjoy the flavor in its own right, I have a desire to explore. I need a different approach to satisfy that.
For most flavored whiskeys, this means finding the right cocktail. I have a small library of go-to mixed drinks which I like to use to test a new whiskey. For fruit-flavored whiskeys, my primary three are a highball, a Manhattan, and a whiskey sour. A highball demonstrates a whiskey’s value as a slow, diluted sipper. A Manhattan showcases it as a concentrated flavor. A sour lets me know how it works as the background flavor to a candy-flavored tang.
Journeyman Distillery’s Pit-Spitter Cherry Flavored Whiskey is made by soaking Montmorency cherries for 14 days in their Last Feather Rye blend. It’s a proper cherry infusion, rather than a blending of the whiskey with liqueur or syrup. As flavors go, cherry feels like a natural pairing when so many whiskey cocktails already call for a cherry garnish.
Journeyman Distillery has been on my radar since I had tried their Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey expression. It was a shockingly good whiskey for its low profile, and it’s made me curious what else they can produce. Even though I don’t usually go for flavored whiskeys, their name is enough to make me see how this expression plays as a cocktail base. Trying these cocktails is the kind of expression I’m looking for.
Tasting Notes: Journeyman Distillery Pit-Spitter Cherry Flavored Whiskey
Vital Stats: 35% ABV. Mash bill: 60% organic rye, 40% organic wheat. Naturally flavored with Michigan Montmorency cherries. 70 Proof. Suggested Retail: 42.99 USD.
Appearance: Auburn.
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Nose: The nose opens with oak and cranberry but soon evolves into the full cherry scent. There is a sweet, slightly medicinal quality to the strong cherry infusion.
Palate: The taste is dominated by the cherry flavor, but I can still feel the bready base of the wheat whiskey used as a base. The cherry starts honey-sweet with hints of tart apple fruit, but the taste of cherry intensifies into the finish. It leaves a syrupy mouthfeel that’s cloying in its sweetness. A little water smooths out the feel and emphasizes the tartness.
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