Glenn's Creek Distilling Millville Malt Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes

There’s a story behind this label. If you look closely at the sample bottle, it says “Old Uncle Gefilte Fish Secret Recipe.” I was joking around in a Facebook group. I don’t even recall the exact conversation, but I mentioned something about Old Uncle Gefilte Fish Whiskey when referring to something I must have just tasted that was godawful.

 

I’m Jewish. A staple of Jewish delicacy is gefilte fish. If you’ve never heard of it, here’s the description from Mashed.com (I selected them since they quote from me every so often):

 

“Gefilte fish (pronounced geh-filt) means "stuffed fish" in and was traditionally made by Eastern European Jews on special occasions by mincing various types of fish with vegetables and seasonings and stuffing the mixture back into the skin of the whole fish, which was roasted and enjoyed chilled with a side of beet. The dish is enjoyed in many different forms today — the traditional way, shaped into patties, and even from a jar — and, as noted by Chron, sparks fiery debate among steadfast gefilte fans and those who would rather eat literally anything besides ‘pescatarian's meatloaf’ or the ‘hot dog of the sea.’”

 

That’s actually a lovely way to talk about it. I’m in the “those who would rather eat literally anything besides” camp. I can’t even look at the stuff. It gives me the heebie-jeebies and dry heaves.

 

A distiller friend of mine, David Meier of Glenn’s Creek Distilling, sent me a sample of his whiskey and requested I let him know my thoughts. He told me I wouldn’t know what it was, but he’d label it “Old Uncle Gefilte Fish Secret Recipe.” I remember replying that I would do it, but he had me a bit scared.

 

Glenn’s Creek Distilling is housed in what was the Old Crow Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.  It had been abandoned for 30 some-odd years before David purchased it to open his distillery. He loved the building and all of its history.

 

“Old Uncle Gefilte Fish Secret Recipe” is really Millville Malt, a whiskey that was pot distilled from lightly peated barley. It is aged for 36 months and packaged at barrel strength, which in the case of Barrel #3, is 97°. The distillery has it listed for $72.64.

 

All joking aside, I want to #DrinkCurious and taste what this is all about. Thank you, David, for this opportunity, and despite our friendship, this is still a no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: Millville Malt was poured neat into my Glencairn glass and appeared as a darker orange amber. A medium rim created long, wavy legs.

 

Nose: I smelled musty books and leather. There was some cinnamon and citrus as well. What there wasn’t was any hint of peat. My concern was growing, and I didn’t want to go any further. I reminded myself that not all good whiskeys have pleasant aromas and convinced myself to trudge on. Vanilla and old oak rolled across my tongue when I pulled the air past my lips.

 

Palate:  An oily mouthfeel brought pineapple, coconut, and lemon peel to the front of my palate. Caramel, cocoa, and roasted coffee formed the middle, while flavors of vanilla, dry oak, and a kiss of peat comprised the back.

 

Finish:  The caramel, cocoa, dry oak, and peat stuck around once the pineapple and cinnamon notes fell off. The finish was challenging because it came in waves. Just when I thought it crescendoed, another wave crashed through. I got about four minutes before things finally dissipated.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  While the nose was not my jam, the palate and finish more than made up for that. I had fun with the wonky shifts in flavors—the finish through me for a loop. Overall, I enjoyed sipping Millville Malt. David is obviously a talented distiller. Would I pay $73.00 for a bottle of Millville Malt? I'm not convinced. But this is one that I’d definitely want to try before committing, and it takes a Bar rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.