There’s something you may or may not know about your friendly neighborhood Whiskeyfellow. I’m a Star Trek dork (no, I don’t have my own uniform); I have been most of my life. I’ve been watching Star Trek in one incarnation or another since the early 1970s. Fifty-some-odd years later, I still stream the episodes and movies (right now, I’m re-watching Star Trek: Picard).
When
Stellum Spirits, part of Barrell Craft Spirits,
invited me to review two Star Trek-inspired whiskeys, I was like, “Oh, hell
yeah!” Whiskey and Star Trek, Star Trek and whiskey… this is like a dream come
true!
It
is also where I had to tell myself to calm down. As excited as I was, I didn’t
want my emotions assimilated into my review. It also made me wonder what these
whiskeys were all about.
“What sets this release apart is that both expressions are housed in the iconic Romulan Ale bottle—a symbol of Star Trek's rich history. Deeply rooted in Star Trek lore, and famously outlawed by the United Federation of Planets, Romulan Ale has long embodied mystery and intrigue. Now, this legendary bottle bridges the world of science fiction and exceptional whiskey, making these limited-edition releases even more extraordinary for collectors and whiskey enthusiasts alike.” – Stellum Spirits
There
is a Blended Rye Whiskey and a Cask
Strength Blended Whiskey. Both are in nearly
identical Romulan Ale-inspired bottles. I couldn’t tell the difference
between them looking at the front. It is the back labels that tell you which is
which. The bottles are cool, individually numbered, and allegedly collectible –
and let me just say, whether these whiskeys are good or bad, I’m keeping them
on a display shelf.
These
Star Trek whiskeys are available online exclusively from StarTrekSpirits.com. Either version is blended from a three-barrel
batch. Interestingly, the American Rye is clearly labeled as such. The Cask
Strength Whiskey required careful reading of the website description to
discover it is a Bourbon – the term is buried in the middle of the second
paragraph.
The
big question here, at least in my mind, is Are these Romulan whiskeys any
good? Thankfully, Stellum Spirits stuck each sample into its transporter
and beamed them over in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.
That being said, let’s #DrinkCurious!
Bottle 642
– Romulan Rye Whiskey
- Whiskey Type: American Rye Whiskey
- Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
- Age: NAS (at least four years)
- Mashbill: Undisclosed, at least 51% rye
- Alcohol Content: 59% ABV (118°)
- Price per 750mL: $79.00
Appearance: Similar
to the Bourbon, I poured the Rye into a Glencairn glass to sip neat. The
copper-colored whiskey produced a thin rim with thick, tightly spaced, fast
tears.
Nose: As I brought
this Rye beneath my nostrils and inhaled, there were notes of dill, rye spice,
cinnamon, molasses, and ripe cherries. Drawing the vapor through my lips, there
was milk chocolate.
Palate: The first
contact with my tongue possessed a thick, creamy texture. Yet, it was soft and
unassuming, even considering the stated proof. The front of my palate
experienced tastes of toasted almonds, dill, and cardamom. At the mid-palate, flavors
of apricots, caramel, and tobacco materialized. The back communicated notes of charred
oak, cinnamon spice, and older leather.
Finish: The apricots
and caramel were evident on the finish. They were joined by charred oak, cardamom,
and cinnamon. Dried apricots lasted the longest. It took roughly 1:29 before cloaking,
making it medium-long.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: This
was a mild American Rye for all intents and purposes. The mashbill was
undisclosed, but I’ll assume it wasn’t a 95/5. There had to be corn involved;
it was somewhat sweet.
Romulan Blended Rye will
appeal to Bourbon and Rye drinkers alike. I commend Stellum Spirits and Star
Trek Spirits for finding that happy spot in the Neutral Zone. It drank far
below its stated proof by at least 15, if not 20 points. It could easily pass
for a six-year American Rye; there were no sharp notes, and it wasn’t a mint
photon torpedo. Instead, it was a very easy sipper.
My rating for the Star Trek
aficionado is a slam-dunk Bottle; you’ll enjoy drinking it while keeping
the bottle in plain sight. It is a bit pricey for the more casual drinker, but it
is still worth picking up as an easy sipper.
◊◊◊◊◊
Bottle
515 – Romulan Cask Strength Whiskey
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
- Age: NAS (at least four years)
- Mashbill: Undisclosed, at least 51% corn
- Alcohol Content: 60% ABV (120°)
- Price per 750mL: $79.00
Appearance: I
poured the Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to explore neat. The topaz-colored
liquid formed a medium rim with widely spaced, thick, quick tears.
Nose: While the
mashbill was undisclosed, it seemed apparent that it was a traditional ryed
Bourbon. I smelled cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, vanilla frosting, fresh coconut,
toffee, cedar and oak. When I inhaled the air, I found butterscotch and milk chocolate.
Palate: Despite
the stated proof, the mouthfeel was soft and creamy. I tasted caramel, toffee, and
orange peel on the front of my palate. The middle offered leather, heavily roasted
peanuts, and milk chocolate. The back included white pepper, cinnamon, and oak.
Finish: The
white pepper turned black, the cinnamon became bold, and clove materialized out
of nowhere to steal the scene. There was some toffee and leather. The duration
ran 1:26 before warping out, making it medium-long.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Although
the mouthfeel was soft, the roof of my mouth felt the 120°, which was numbed
and tingling. It was as if I was stunned by a phaser because I didn’t notice it
until I was several sips deep. I went back repeatedly, much like humans do with
Romulan Ale.
Is this a $79.00 Bourbon? If
you’re a Star Trek dork like me, the answer is an easy yes. Judging by its merits,
this Bourbon is tasty and well-balanced, yet it is about $15.00 or $20.00
higher than a comparably-priced 120° Bourbon. However, this isn’t geared toward
the average Bourbon drinker; it is meant for franchise fans.
So, for Trekkers or Trekkies
(depending on how devout you are), we’re talking about an easy Bottle
rating. For the rest of the world, you’d want to try it at a Bar first.
◊◊◊◊◊
Whiskeyfellow’s Log;
Supplemental: Obviously, Star Trek Spirits and Stellum Spirits have targeted a
niche market. I’ve typically found what Stellum produces to be high quality and
a worthwhile pour.
When I popped the synthetic
corks on both, I observed an ethanol (I assume) vapor hover in their
necks. That gave them a mysterious, sci-fi quality. I have no idea if that was
coincidental or purposeful (and if it is the latter, how was that done?). The
Cask Strength Whiskey isn’t labeled Bourbon, but the Rye is, and there shouldn’t
be additives. When I opened the second bottle, I did it in front of Mrs.
Whiskeyfellow (guessing it would happen again) to see her reaction; she thought
it was cool.
However, we live in a split
household. Mrs. Whiskeyfellow is a Star Wars fan. I don’t care about her
franchise and vice-versa. So, she was utterly clueless about the Romulan Ale
angle and kept asking what it had to do with Star Trek. Shrug; she’s still a
keeper.
Between the two whiskeys, I
preferred the Romulan Rye. While a fan-based premium was added to both, they’re
enjoyable and worth drinking. Catoena ih'Shiar vr'Doægevha Rihanh'ri!
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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