“A few years ago, I had a thought, why aren't there more Latino focused whiskey brands? This brought me on an adventure of rediscovery of culture, heritage, and of course, whiskey. As I began to learn more about whiskey, I stumbled into learning more about my ancestry than I would have realized.
Through my journey of discovery, I understood the importance of my family history and the significance of tying a Whiskey brand back to our roots. That's how Fincasa came about. We are tying together our many cultures and history into something that has meaning.” - Michael Antonio Martinez, Founder
Michael’s
story begins in 1935. His grandfathers were farmers in Puerto Rico. As he researched
his family’s roots, he looked into the island’s (and region’s) connection to
whiskey-making, which is eye-opening since Puerto Rico is known for distilling
rum, not whiskey.
Michael
focuses on Origin Rum Barrels. Briefly stated it is the use of rum barrels from
different regions in Latin America and the Caribbean.
He
calls his whiskey Fincasa
De La Tierra, which translates to Farmhouse On
The Land. His newest release, Batch 3, is an American Rye finished in
Puerto Rican rum barrels for 12 months. Batch 1 was finished for six months, and
Batch 2 took nine months. Future batches will include rum casks from Barbados
and Jamaica, and Michael is constructing a Barrel House in Puerto Rico.
Michael
sources the fully-matured 95/5 Rye from MGP/Ross & Squibb
in Indiana, and bottling takes place at Big Cypress Distillery
in Miami, Florida.
There
were only four barrels involved in the batch. Distribution is limited to Puerto
Rico, Florida, New York, California, and Washington, DC, as well as minimal
stock from its online store.
So,
how’s this Puerto Rican-inspired Rye? We have to #DrinkCurious to find out.
First, I would like to thank Fincasa for providing me with a sample in exchange
for my honest, no-strings-attached review.
- Whiskey Type: American Rye
- Distiller: MGP (Ross & Squibb)
- Age: 5 years
- Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Cooperage: Matured in new, charred oak barrels, finished 12 months in Puerto Rican rum casks
- Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
- Price per 750mL: $84.99
Appearance: I
poured this Rye into my Glencairn glass to experience neat. The liquid had a
topaz color; it formed a medium rim with medium, even-spaced, fast tears.
Nose: After
allowing the whiskey to rest for about ten minutes, I brought the glass under
my nostrils and inhaled. There was no doubt about the rum cask influence. I smelled
ripe bananas, molasses, vanilla, and starfruit, along with the expected rye
spice and mint. Drawing the aroma into my mouth exposed me to rich molasses.
Palate: Fincasa
possessed a creamy texture. I tasted brown sugar, vanilla, and fresh dill on
the front of my palate, while the middle featured cinnamon, mint, and rye
spice. Anise, toasted oak, and funk (for lack of a better term) were all on the
back.
Finish: There
was dill… and dill… and dill. A whole lotta fresh dill. Beneath the dill (did I
mention there was dill?), I found brown sugar, rye spice, fennel, cinnamon…
Hang on, I must digress. When you were a kid, do you remember taking toothpicks and soaking them in liquid cinnamon? The longer you left them alone, the more intense the cinnamon became. Let’s say you let them sit for several days. That’s how potent the cinnamon component was.
Back to the scheduled
programming… toasted oak and molasses. The duration ran 1:47, making it long. The
final note was cinnamon.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I love
coming across something unique, and Fincasa De La Tierra Batch 3 certainly fits
that bill. If I took all of the whiskeys I’ve tasted that had a dill component
and blended them, I’m not sure they’d equal what Fincasa De La Tierra offered.
It isn’t pickled dill; rather, the dill was very fresh.
Interestingly enough, the
very potent cinnamon on the finish melded well with that volume of dill. And,
while Fincasa De La Tierra had all of these acute notes yet, somehow, the MGP
95/5 Rye was easily identifiable. That demonstrates Michael’s talent.
I’ve rambled on, and it is
time for the verdict. If you want something far different than anything you’ve
likely come across before, then you must check this Puerto Rican-influenced
whiskey out. If some of the notes concern you, you’ll want to try this first. Hence,
it earns my 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 to do so responsibly.
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