Brodsky Herbal Flavored Whiskey

By April Manning

Rating: B-

Brodsky Herbal Flavored Whiskey
(Credit: April Manning)

The name Brodsky comes from the owners Eastern European last name and the image of a raven spanning its wings on the bottle pays tribute to that regions folklore, thus hinting at times of old. Brodsky Herbal Flavored Whiskey starts by using a traditional corn/malted barley whiskey base then gives the concept a “New Age Meets Old Age” twist. They have taken the Eastern European health remedy approach of using bitter flavoring as a digestif and infused their whiskey with eight botanicals traditionally used to promote digestion. Since the herbs are already infused into the whiskey no added flavoring, such as Bitters or sugar, is necessary and this enables Brodsky to claim the tagline “All natural classic taste.”

To create this unique spirit Brodsky uses cold infusion to saturate the whiskey base with the botanicals for one week. The herbs are drawn off and the remaining distillate is aged in oak bourbon barrels. This allows the botanical flavors to successfully combine and the white liquor to caramelize. Brodsky is then bottled, uncut and unfiltered, at barrel proof (100 proof in this instance).

The Whiskey
Upon first glance, the very substantial, masculine bottle does not seem to reflect its floral-like contents. The next observation is that you can see oils separating in the mix. This caused an interesting milky swirl in the golden honey colored elixir. As for the nose, this is definitely a whiskey I would invite you to smell first. It has the soothing scent of herbal tea with a cinnamon stick in it.

The flavors of Brodsky hit all palates with individual explosive expressions. First the lips and tip of the tongue get woken up with a playful peppery spice. Next the mid-palate experiences an earthy, leathery sensation with hints of licorice. The finish starts with a floral flourish and ends on a citrus note reminiscent of a flamed orange peel. There is more of a frisky satisfying zing then a burn going down, ending with a slight deep belly burn – this is 100 proof after all!

I enjoyed this unique whiskey, one that is truly different from any others I have tried so far. It would make for an excellent Old Fashioned when one is feeling good and a great Hot Toddy when one is feeling not so good.

The Price
$39.99 to $45.99