Reviews of TINCUP Straight Bourbon & 6-Year American Whiskey

 

Founded in 1879 on the Western Slope of Colorado, the mining town of Tincup has a storied, albeit short, history. It began when, in 1859, a prospector named Jim Taylor was mining for gold, and he placed his booty in a tin cup to carry it back to his base camp. As he looked over the amazing valley, he named it Tin Cup Gulch.

 

Twenty years later, a motherlode was discovered, and the population suddenly boomed to almost 1500 people. They named the town Virginia City. Unfortunately, people were confused between it and two cities in other states: Montana and Nevada. So, a year later, it was renamed Tin Cup, after the cups the miners and prospectors carried with them.

 

Tin Cup was a true “wild west” frontier town. While it had elections and a legitimate government, in truth, the town was run by the criminal underground. Any lawmen were given a choice: obey us or suffer the consequences. In a single year, two of Tin Cup’s marshals were murdered! It was also the target of raids by Native Americans.

 

After five years, Tin Cup was renamed Tincup, and it thrived until the turn of the century when the mines were exhausted. In 1918, the town had its last election, and the post office closed. In 1919, Tincup was a ghost town. Today, there are a handful of summer cabins and it is a place for tourists to visit when they want to get away from everything.

 

In 2004, Jess Graber and George Stranahan founded Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. In 2010, Stranahan’s was purchased by Proximo Spirits. Jess wasn’t done with whiskey; he wanted to make high-rye Bourbon and founded TINCUP Whiskey in 2014. TINCUP is known for including usable tin cup caps with each full-sized bottle.

 

TINCUP has just released a handful of new whiskeys. Today, we will explore a straight Bourbon and an American Whiskey. TINCUP was kind enough to provide me with samples of each in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews. Let’s #DrinkCurious and taste what these are all about.

 

I sipped both whiskeys neat from fresh Glencairn glasses.   

 

TINCUP Bourbon

 

 

• Distiller: Undisclosed
• Mashbill: Undisclosed high-rye Bourbon
• Age Statement: NAS (at least four years)
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750ml: $24.99

 

Appearance: TINCUP’s straight Bourbon presented as a yellow-gold color. It produced a thin rim with thick, medium-spaced, slow tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass to my nose and inhaled, I encountered an aroma of field corn, vanilla, and lightly charred oak. I found caramel and vanilla when I drew that air into my mouth.  

 

Palate: My lips and tongue were greeted by a medium body. The front of my palate found corn and vanilla. Midway through were notes of toffee and a bit of caramel. Tobacco leaf, rye spice, and oak were on the back.

 

Finish: You couldn’t tell from the first few sips, but the finish became longer as the experience continued. Rye spice, oak, vanilla, and toffee remained for about 1:34, making it a medium duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: TINCUP Bourbon is an easy sipper. It has a bit of a spice kick on the back and finish but lacks any real depth on my palate. There’s nothing to complain about, yet it is also an unremarkable whiskey. In my opinion, TINCUP was overly aggressive with the Rocky Mountain spring water. For the price, it would make an attractive entry-level Bourbon. For more experienced drinkers, I recommend trying this one at a Bar first.

 

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TINCUP 6-Year American Whiskey

 

 

• Distiller: MGP and Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
• Mashbill: Blend of high-rye Bourbon and American Single Malt
• Age Statement: 6 years
• Alcohol Content: 42% ABV (84°)
• Price per 750ml: $27.99 

 

Appearance: This blended whiskey looked brassy. A medium-thin rim created slow, thick, crazed tears.

 

Nose: The smells of malt, oak, corn, bold caramel, apples, and pears reached my olfactory sense. I drew that air into my mouth and tasted green apples.

 

Palate: A thick, creamy texture rolled across my tongue and down my throat. The front of my palate found honey, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Flavors of apples, nutmeg, and almonds hit my mid-palate, while the back featured oak, soft clove, and cinnamon.

 

Finish: Honey, apples, cinnamon and rye spices, clove, and oak completed this tasting journey. As time passed, its intensity slowly grew. The duration ran 1:27, placing this in the medium venue.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The mouthfeel became creamier and denser as my sipping experience rolled on. I dug it. Blending American Single Malts with other types of whiskey is unusual, and TINCUP’s version commanded my attention.

 

At only 84°, you might assume that the whiskey would lack much depth, and you’d be wrong. There were plenty of flavors, and the finish was impressive. The price is attractive, and, frankly, so is this whiskey. I’m giving it my Bottle 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 to do so responsibly.