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Whiskey Review: Virgil Kaine 5WB.HR.S16 Ashcat

We review Virgil Kaine 5WB.HR.S16 Ashcat, a blended bourbon that bridges the gap between sweet wheat and spicy rye.

OVERALL RATING

6
  • Margarett Waterbury is a whiskey enthusiast and industry expert.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Blended bourbon, a combination of 5-year-old wheated bourbon and high rye bourbon (and perhaps something else, or it wouldn’t be blended bourbon). 91.2 proof.
Appearance:
Thin body, medium amber color. Great production value on the heavy, embossed label.
Nose:
Sweet, oily, and grassy, with a very glossy feel. I get spun sugar, tea, honey, chamomile, peanut skins, orange, and vanilla fudge. Over time rye starts to poke through, mostly in the form of tingly cinnamon and wet cardboard.
Palate:
Also sweet, with an herbal note and lacy tannic structure that reminds me very much of Southern sweet tea (maybe that’s the marketing talking?). There’s also orange peel, peppermint leaves, and soy sauce for an earthy anchor. Oak’s in the tail, but it’s very low key, along with sticky, raisin-like sherry with a lightly oxidative quality. A thin mouth feel and relatively low flavor amplitude make this almost too easy to drink.
Finish:
Comments:
Ashcat is not for me, but I can easily imagine a person who would enjoy this. It’s tasty over ice, a good base for cocktails, and easygoing enough to serve to mixed company. For $75, it won’t impress purists on the hunt for the next hidden bourbon gem, but it’s an interesting option for a friendly, approachable, somewhat “designed”-tasting bourbon that goes down easyrn

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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