Today,
we’ll explore ASW
Distillery, which is located in Atlanta. ASW was
only the second legal distillery in Atlanta since Prohibition and the first
Atlanta distillery to produce an American Single Malt Whiskey.
Jim
Chasteen and Charlie Thompson
attended the University of Georgia and became fast friends. They bonded over a shared
love of whiskey – any whiskey – and were determined to make their own. They devised
a recipe called American Spirit Whiskey and began their distilling venture.
Then,
they met Justin Manglitz, a self-educated brewer who dreamed of becoming a
distiller and was a fellow alumnus. They, in turn, formed ASW Distillery in
2016 and handed Justin the reins as the master distiller. The trio refer to
themselves as Southern Pot-Still Distillers.
Using
dual Scottish-style copper pot stills constructed by Vendome, ASW's mission is
to Do Something You Love. They accomplish that by combining the
tried-and-true Scottish ways with southern-grown grains.
“When we first set out on our whiskey journey, we made a purposeful decision to craft two lines of spirits: one that we distilled ourselves, and one that allows us to showcase unique spirits from across the country that we then bring in house and ‘fiddle with.’
Our Master Distiller, Justin Manglitz, is an accomplished old-time string music fiddler, so we thought the name Fiddler a fitting testament to his virtuoso skills and our transparent line of foraged, ‘fiddled with’ whiskies.” – ASW Distillery
All
of which leads us to the two whiskeys I am reviewing: Fiddler Wheated and Fiddler
Toasted. Despite all the fiddling, ASW is
passionate about not chill-filtering or adding color to its whiskeys.
Fiddles
and Georgia mean one thing to me: The devil went down there and needed
a soul to steal. He was in a bind and way behind and willing to make a deal.
Did that happen with ASW Distillery? The only way we’ll find out is to
#DrinkCurious. I must thank them for providing me with samples of each whiskey
in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.
For
the record, I used a fresh Glencairn glass for each.
Fiddler
Wheated
Whiskey
Type: Bourbon
Distillery:
MGP and ASW Distillery (blended)
Mashbill:
51% corn, 45% wheat, 4% malted barley
Age:
5 years (50%), 5.5 years (25%), 6.5 years (25%)
Cooperage:
25% of the Bourbon was double-oaked for an undisclosed duration; the batch is
four 53-gallon, new #2 and #3 charred oak barrels.
Alcohol
Content: 46% (92°)
Price
per 750ml: $39.99
Appearance: The orange-amber
liquid presented an extremely fragile rim that shed a watery curtain.
Nose: The
aroma was soft and required work to discern its components. I smelled caramel, peaches,
cocoa, and oak. I found a lot of chocolate when I inhaled the vapor into my
mouth.
Palate: Fiddler
Wheated had an airy, weightless texture. Corn and cocoa powder hit the front of
my palate. The middle tasted of brown sugar and orange zest, while the back
offered oak and black pepper.
Finish: Chocolate,
oak, and orange zest hung around for a brief, 48-second finish.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Wheated
Bourbons, or wheaters, tend to have a soft mouthfeel. Fiddler Wheated had the
softest I’ve ever encountered. I don’t know that I could even describe it as wet.
Fiddler Wheated Bourbon is uncomplicated. You could sip it on a hot summer day
and be perfectly fine. I can’t see myself sipping it as a daily drinker. It isn’t
a bad whiskey, and it isn’t great. I believe this is one you’ll want to taste
first at a Bar before committing further.
◊◊◊◊◊
Fiddler
Toasted
- Whiskey Type: American Rye
- Sourced Distillery: MGP
- Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Age: 6 years, 8 months
- Cooperage: New, #1, #2, #3, and #4 charred oak barrels
- Finishing Time: 48 weeks in #2 charred and medium and heavy toasted barrels
- Alcohol Content: 57.4% ABV (114.8°)
- Price per 750ml: $74.99
Appearance: Fiddler
Toasted Rye was about the reddest whiskey I’ve come across, including those
finished in wine casks. It produced a thick rim and thick, slow tears.
Nose: The
spicy aroma included notes of dill, mint, oak, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Drawing the air through my lips exposed me to a rich caramel.
Palate: The
mouthfeel was watery. Butterscotch, brown sugar, and almonds were on the front.
My mid-palate discovered nutmeg, cocoa, and dill. The back included cinnamon, black
pepper, and French oak.
Finish: French
oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, dill, black pepper, and brown sugar stuck around for
about 2:26. It began to wane about 35 seconds in but then ramped back up,
leaving dill, brown sugar, and cinnamon to end the performance.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Fiddler
Toasted Rye confused me. The nose told me this would be a typical mint-forward
MGP 95/5 Rye. The palate and finish proved otherwise. If you served this to me
blind, I could identify this as a Rye but call you a liar when you stated it
was almost 115°. There’s magic here, and I loved every minute of the
experience. Its Bottle rating is well-deserved.
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 to do so responsibly.
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