Canongate 15-Year-Old Single Barrel American Whiskey Review

Independent bottlers are a ton of fun. They get to do things that most folks dream of. They get to pick barrels, often one-offs (yeah, I know, every barrel is technically a one-off, but you know what I mean), and either sell them as-is or they can go the blending or finishing (or both) routes. They’re usually transparent about where those barrels originated.

 

In the United States, independent bottlers are a relatively new breed. In contrast, in Europe, this has been a well-established industry. I’ve encountered a handful of the former, and what they produce is usually worthwhile.

 

One such independent bottler is The Perfect Fifth. Founded in Miami, Florida, in 2019 by Karl Schoen, it concentrates on barrels from Scotland. That’s because Karl grew up with Scotch; drinking it had been a generations-old tradition in his family. His goal is to obtain unique gems that a distillery may overlook. The Perfect Fifth was named Scotch Campbeltown Independent Bottler of the Year in its first year at the 2019 Whisky Magazine Awards Bottlers Challenge.

 

Everything The Perfect Fifth bottles is at cask strength. They’re all naturally colored and non-chill filtered to experience precisely what the distillery produced.

 

Today, we’ll explore Canongate 15-Year-Old Single Barrel American Whiskey.

 

American Whiskey is kind of a catch-all category for American-distilled whiskeys that don’t quite fit other defined categories. For example, a Bourbon mashbill might have been aged in used oak, thus disqualifying it from being Bourbon, or something destined initially to be an American Single Malt failed to meet the newly approved regulations.

 

Canongate 15 is part of The Perfect Fifth’s Born and Bottled series, which pays homage to the bond between Kentucky and Scotland. The whiskey was distilled in Kentucky and aged there for three years before the intact barrel was shipped to Scotland to sleep another dozen years.

 

“The Canongate 15-Year-Old is a unique bottling due to the transatlantic journey the barrel took by first spending time in Kentucky, then in Scotland, and now back in the United States. This bottling celebrates the symbiotic relationship between our two countries in regards to cask sharing.” – Karl Schoen

 

There are only 236 bottles available for the American market, and can be acquired at New York, New Jersey, and California retailers or from The Perfect Fifth’s website.

 

This #DrinkCurious opportunity is happening due to The Perfect Fifth providing me with a sample of Canongate 15 in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

• Whiskey Type: American Whiskey
• Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
• Age: 15 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: Undisclosed (assumed 53-gallon barrel)
• Alcohol Content: 63.53% ABV (127.06°)
• Price per 700mL: $185.00

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this whiskey neat. The yellow gold whiskey had difficulty even forming a rim; there were jagged sections that failed to join. Instead, thick, fast, medium-spaced tears fell back into the pool.

 

Nose: I waited about 15 minutes before bringing the glass to my face. I smelled sweet corn, caramel, plantain chips, and straw. That is a combination I can’t recall ever experiencing. I drew the air through my lips to find more sweet corn. It is at this point that I’ve suspected that Canongate 15 is matured in vintage cooperage, which explains its American whiskey designation.

 

Palate: Canongate 15’s mouthfeel was buttery and warming. The front of my palate encountered butterscotch and blanched almonds. Midway through, I tasted tobacco and old leather, while flavors of cinnamon and walnuts were on the back. I am now convinced that Canongate 15 was aged in used oak.

 

Finish: The finish featured cinnamon, clove, walnuts, and figs. I checked my stopwatch; the duration ran 0:58, placing it squarely in medium territory.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Used oak isn’t a bad thing at all. Most Scotch whiskies are aged that way; virgin oak is more of an anomaly. What tipped me off?

 

First, 15 years in new oak casks should impart deeper colors. It doesn’t matter if it aged in Kentucky or at the North Pole. The first thing that happens when you put newmake in virgin oak is that it leaches the color from the wood. Even if this was proofed down to, say, 45% ABV (90°), this whiskey was far too pale.

 

Secondly, 15 years in new barrels should result in a deeper palate, including wood tannins. Those were notably absent. I put a lot of effort into identifying the various flavors.

 

Overall, this whiskey offered minimal “burn” considering its stated proof, and that’s always a pleasure. If I didn’t know the alcohol content, I would have guessed 105° or perhaps even 110°. Also, the figs that popped from nowhere in the finish were a nice surprise.

 

Is Canongate 15-Year-Old Single Barrel American Whiskey tasty? Yes, I enjoyed it. Yet, however unusual a 15-year-old Heaven Hill American whiskey may be, I find this to be a very expensive pour. I know that because of its small yield, trying this one at a Bar first is unrealistic, that’s still my 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.