Review of Henry Deringer 8-Year American Single Malt Whiskey

 

Is that a pistol in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

 

Yeah, we’ve all heard that cheesy line before, but it is relevant to today’s review: Henry Deringer Single Malt Aged 8 Years.

 

Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 1786, Henry Deringer was the son of a gunsmith. Henry’s father created the Kentucky Rifle, which was used both as a sporting gun and as a base model by the US Army. You’d think that Henry’s father would have taught him the trade; for whatever reason, Henry was sent off to Richmond, Virginia, to learn from another gunsmith.

 

In 1806, Henry returned to Pennsylvania, married, and established his own practice. Much of his clientele was the military, and he made rifles destined to be traded to the Native American population. Henry also created dueling pistols and sporting rifles, and, in 1840, he ceased accepting government contracts.

 

It was in 1825 when he designed his first large-caliber pocket pistol. Subsequent revisions included double-barrel models. While he started with flintlocks, he transitioned to percussion-firing pistols and continued to innovate and improve on that technology. Henry’s guns were considered high-end.

 

The crazy thing is that Deringer never filed a patent. He was too busy making and selling guns. He was turning them so fast that he rarely had inventory. Because of that, he had unscrupulous types (sometimes even former employees) who copied his design and forged his name on what they produced. He sued the counterfeiters regularly, eventually winning a case called Deringer v. Plate, which was considered a significant turning point in trademark law. One of Deringer’s guns wound up in the hands of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. The reporter who wrote the story misspelled "Deringer" as "Derringer," and the pistol style became known by that name even to this day.

 

"The story of Henry Deringer is one of daring and precision — qualities we've brought to life in every drop of this whiskey. This 8-year single malt honors the fearless spirit that helped define the American frontier and continues to inspire the world of whiskey today." – Alex Kogan, CEO of World Whiskey Society

 

The World Whiskey Society was established in 2020 and bills itself as “creating the world’s most interesting whiskeys.” They’re sourced, and it holds the names of the actual distillers close to its vest. I’ve reviewed a handful of its whiskeys, and the winners outweigh the others.

 

Henry Deringer Single Malt is a limited-edition, cask-strength whiskey that’s available from World Whiskey Society’s online store and select retailers nationwide for $99.99.

 

Finally, I must thank The World Whiskey Society for providing me with this #DrinkCurious opportunity. It was kind enough to send me a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s discover what this American Single Malt is all about, shall we?

 

• Whiskey Type: American Single Malt
• Distiller: Undisclosed
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: 100% malted barley
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 61% ABV (122°)
• Price per 750mL: $99.99

 

Appearance: I poured this whiskey into a Glencairn glass, intending to drink it neat. Inside, the liquid appeared coppery, forming a thin rim with slow, tiny droplets that left an even thinner trail behind them as they worked their way down the glass.

 

Nose: I let the whiskey rest about 15 minutes before beginning my sniffing journey. I found quite a bit of malt, along with honeysuckle, and way overripe peaches. When I took the air into my mouth, I could swear I was biting into a Granny Smith apple.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was creamy and thick. The palate shock was white grapefruit. With the second sip, I tasted vanilla, apricots, and peaches on the front of my palate. Midway through, I noted flavors of honey, brown sugar, and toffee. The back consisted of malt, bold oak tannins, and a brewed tea character.  

 

Finish: The tea, malt, apricots, and peaches carried through to the finish, accompanied by soft notes of grapefruit and brine, which seemed to end things ideally. I timed this sipping experience at 1:48, making it medium to long in duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: So, here’s the deal: I hated the nose, particularly the spoiled peaches. I tried resetting my olfactory sense a few times to ensure I was smelling what I thought I smelled. I could have just given up and thrown what was in my glass away. Henry Deringer is a perfect example of why that’s a huge mistake, because the mouthfeel was lovely and the palate was worth exploring further. Henry Deringer did remind me of whiskeys distilled from beer (meaning, actual beer, not distiller’s beer); it happens occasionally with American Single Malts and no longer phases me.

 

The whiskey seems aptly named. Deringer spent much of his life fighting against the odds and ultimately won his landmark case. If you power past the aroma, you’ll be pleased with what’s in your mouth. It earns my Bottle rating for its ingenuity and distinctiveness from other American Single Malts. 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.