Boondocks Cask Strength American Whiskey Review
By Father John Rayls
Rating: A-
(Credit: John Rayls)
Boondocks Cask Strength 11 Year Old American Whiskey was a surprising item. Created by Royal Wine Corporation, it’s stats make it a light whiskey: 80 to 90% corn, some rye and malted barley in the mashbill; distilled to above 160 proof; and aged in used oak barrels. Light whiskey is rarely seen on store shelves, with the High West 14 Year Old Light Whiskey release being another example. In this instance, the whiskey was sourced and blended under the eye of Woodford Reserve veteran and Whisky Advocate Lifetime Achievement Award winner Dave Scheurich.
There is a 95 proof standard and a 127 proof cask strength version of this whiskey, and it’s the cask strength I sampled here.
The Whiskey
The whiskey is light copper in color while resting in the glass with golden orange highlights. The legs are prolific, but runny and rapid.
The nose is exceptional, being not quite perfect in my view, but pretty close. The aroma was filled with oak, leather, caramel, vanilla and toasted marshmallow over some very light tobacco. There is a noticeable absence of any alcohol burn. It’s exactly what I’m looking for in a nosing experience, and it lifted my expectations to a point that I couldn’t wait to taste it.
The taste is pretty good too. Initially, there is a creamy mouthfeel with vanilla and caramel and oak. It is a whole mouth experience leaning towards toasted marshmallow. There is ample cinnamon spice for a very short time with some intense warming affecting front and back and top to bottom of the mouth.
The finish is long and intense and presents itself with authority, ala Tim Robbins in Bull Durham. It isn’t overwhelming, but it is a major attention grabber. It simply asserts itself, transitioning from cinnamon and caramel to pepper and then to white pepper. It certainly packs a punch, but remains interesting while generating some real excitement.
The Price
The retail pricing is in the $59.00 area, but can be found for a few dollars under the suggested price.
