Proof and Wood's Seasons 2024 North American Whiskey Review

 

If you’re unfamiliar with David Schmier, his is a name to be reckoned with. He is one of the American originals in sourcing and blending. He owned Redemption Rye before selling the brand in 2015 and founding Proof and Wood Ventures. His skills have earned him many accolades, applauses, and awards, and he’s garnered much respect in the industry. Proof and Wood’s involvement in distilled spirits goes beyond whiskey.

 

Its Curated Collection includes beauties such as Good Day, the Canadian whisky that changed my mind about the entire category; 100 Seasons, a 25-year MGP Light Whiskey; and The Globe, a Polish rye aged in French oak and ex-Bourbon barrels, then finished in ex-Jamaican Rum barrels.

 

The subject of today’s review is the newest addition to that collection: Seasons 2024. Proof and Wood calls it Extraordinary North American Whiskey. It blends Canadian Whisky, Kentucky Whiskey, American Light Whiskey, and Indiana Rye. It can easily be assumed those last two components come from MGP (Now Ross & Squibb).

 

The Canadian whiskies are from 2000 and 2001; the Kentucky corn whiskey is from 2013; the American light whiskey from 2016; and the Ryes from 2015 and 2016. It is packaged at 56.35% ABV (112.7°), and a 700ml has a suggested $130.00 price tag.

 

I’m ready to #DrinkCurious and discover what this North American Whiskey is all about. First, however, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Proof and Wood for providing me with a sample of Seasons 2024 in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this whiskey into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. Inside, it presented as citrine, with a thinnish rim and tightly spaced, thick, slow tears.

 

Nose: I didn’t know what to expect from the aroma, but when I sniffed, there was light cocoa, orange pith, leather, caramel, cinnamon, and field corn. They seemed well-melded, yet in my mind, as I identified them individually, these smells didn’t seem like they’d be complimentary. So much for my knowing what should go together and what shouldn’t!

 

Drawing that air into my mouth revealed corn and orange peel.

 

Palate: I found Seasons 2024’s texture to be thick and creamy. The first sip will wake you from whatever trance you might have fallen into. It was spicy and warm.

 

After the palate shock, I took a second sip. The front had corn, cranberries, and cocoa. Leather, cinnamon spice, and oak hit my mid-palate pretty hard. The back tasted of cherries, smoke (not peat), and clove. The smoke and cherry combination was unusual.  

 

Finish: What remained included dry oak, clove, black pepper, cinnamon Red Hots, smoke, and cocoa. It started slow and ramped up for the entirety of its 3:11 duration. For the record, that’s very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Seasons 2024 is a bit crazy. The individual whiskeys competed for attention. The addition of smoke was welcomed. That finish just became more spicy as time elapsed. And, yet, Seasons 2024 is a whiskey that demanded – and captivated – my attention because there was so much happening simultaneously. It drank 10 to 15 points higher than its published proof and affected me similarly. I felt a bit swimmy while writing down my tasting notes.

Does it drink like an American Rye? Not really. How about a typical Corn whiskey? Definitely not. It certainly doesn’t taste like any Canadian whisky I’ve tried. Yet, Seasons 2024 just works. I enjoyed it; I believe you will, too. Hence, my Bottle rating is well-earned. 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 to do so responsibly.