Editor’s Note: These whiskeys were provided to us as review samples by Resurgent Botanical Whiskey. 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 towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
WONF is my favorite new term. It feels like an onomatopoeia when Batman hits the Joker in the old comics. What it stands for is something this distillery is incredibly proud of not having: “With Other Natural Flavors.” Resurgent markets themselves as a no sugar, no WONF, and no preservatives whiskey. Instead, they use a proprietary “cold brew infusion process” to make their flavored whiskey.
Resurgent Botanical Whiskey, distilled by Brandywine Branch Distillers in Elverson, Pennsylvania, and owned by Revivalist Spirits, introduced two new flavored whiskeys this past October. One is a Sarsaparilla Botanical Whiskey infused with sarsaparilla, cherry bark, and licorice; the other a Coffee Botanical Whiskey infused with coffee bean and chicory root.
“We are trying to target whiskey lovers and cocktail lovers who care about what goes into their spirits as much as they care about the taste,” founder of Resurgent Whiskey and Revivalist Gin Scott Avellino says. The intended market is as much a whiskey enthusiast as it is bartenders. “Resurgent is not only using natural ingredients other than the usual generic styles, but more importantly, they’re using interesting ingredients that bartenders and whiskey lovers both like.” Says Mixologist Brenden Bartley of Bathtub Gin.
Another term I encountered with was: “Ethnobotanical,” which the distillery defines as, “the custom of a culture using plants in medicinal, spiritual, culinary, and other practices.” Less fun to say than WONF. However, it implies a philosophy in the creation of this whiskey that distinguishes them from the growing crowd of flavored whiskey. The popularity of flavored whiskey is on the rise, from 4.8% in 2019 to 6.4% in 2021 in market share. It’s only natural someone is trying to step into the market space as the “premium” flavored whiskey.
On the label there is no name differentiating them. However, one has a light purple logo and a bear, the other a blue logo and a mountain lion. Resurgent breaks them down as follows: Bear — sarsaparilla, cherry bark, and licorice, like a bear, is a force of nature bold yet balanced and earthy; Mountain Lion – coffee bean and chicory root is a highly adaptable spirit that can be both assertive and stealthy. With that, we turn to the glass.
Tasting Notes: Resurgent Botanical Sarsaparilla Whiskey
Vital Stats: 80 proof, 40% ABV. $34.99
Appearance: Honey
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Nose: The first whiff is straight root beer barrel hard candies. Once my nose adjusted, I found alcohol, dark sugars, licorice, and cherries. It smells like Barq’s root beer.
Palate: The sweetness of the nose is not present in the taste. The root beer flavor disappears and is replaced by some mild cherry, wheat, and some smoke. The finish is dried tobacco rolled into the root beer flavors. The finish is very quick and leaves a sour note in the throat, almost like the end of a cigar.
Score: 2/5
Tasting Notes: Resurgent Botanical Coffee Whisky Coffee and Chicory Root
Vital Stats: 80 proof, 40% ABV. $34.99
Appearance: Coffee
Nose: No surprises here, the nose is coffee. It has a tannic quality which feels more pre-made vs. fresh pressed coffee, however. The chicory root comes to play with a lot of earthy notes to round out the nose. Nothing too exciting about this.
Palate: Chicory shines through, very bitter and earthy. We get a small hit of coffee bean with a hint of sweetness. The mouthfeel is very watery, but the age of the underlying whiskey shows up in a big way. Almost like a hot coffee cocktail, there is a burn and uneven finish. The finish is short and mellow, some tannic bitterness on the back end of the mouth.
Score: 1.5/5
Final Thoughts
To be perfectly frank, these needed a better base whiskey. A two-year-old wheat is just too young, and the botanicals don’t mesh easily into the existing whiskey profile. This left the underlying product unbalanced. I made two of the recommended cocktails, a sarsaparilla old fashioned and an espresso martini. They weren’t my style of cocktail, but I could see these being a huge hit in certain bars.
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