COPPER WORKS 2017-2025 8 Year Old Single Cask Bar Gosse 10th Anniversary Bottle 67%
COPPER WORKS 2017-2025 8yo OB BAR GOSSE 10th Anniversary Bottle 67%
COPPER WORKS 2017-2025 8yo Official Bottling CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF BAR GOSSE 67%
The nose has vanilla and honey, custard cream, orange and pear, chamomile, coriander, a little fennel, and a bread-like maltiness from the back. On the palate, despite the high proof, it has a smooth mouthfeel; it is gorgeous with esteriness, orange-flavored vitamin supplements, pineapple, and a clean finish with fruity acidity.
【Very Good, Interesting】
This is a single cask American single malt whisky from the COPPER WORKS distillery in Seattle, USA, bottled by Bar Gosse in Meguro for their 10th anniversary.
Since I have stopped buying new releases as much and have become quite out of touch with recent information, this is the first time I am drinking from this distillery. To begin with, I have almost no experience with the category of American single malt whisky, and with an aging period of less than 10 years—which I often don't care for—I couldn't imagine what the flavor profile would be like.
The website of the distributor, Komaspirit, provided the following introduction:
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Established in 2013 on the waterfront in downtown Seattle by brewing experts who have been making craft beer for many years, COPPER WORKS distillery started with the question, "What would spirits taste like if distilled from high-quality craft beer without hops?" Based on the philosophy of "making the best beer and distilling it to make the best whisky," they perform more advanced saccharification and fermentation management than usual distilleries. They use stainless steel fermentation tanks for ultra-long fermentation to create a high-quality, clear wort that is almost identical to craft ale except for the absence of hops, which is then distilled in traditional Forsyth pot stills from Scotland. It is a unique small-batch distillery.
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I received a sample with a request for an unbiased tasting, and I provided my comments without reservation, intentionally avoiding such information beforehand.
First, from the initial impression, I received a clean and very fruity impression.
The strong fruitiness accompanied by a chemical nuance like vitamin supplements is very characteristic. This type of fruitiness, which was occasionally seen in specific distilleries like Fettercairn in the mid-70s or during the heyday of The Whisky Agency, was something I often associated with long-aged Scotch. Considering the 8-year specification of this bottle, this is quite unique. Combined with the fact that there are no sharp edges in the texture despite the very high proof, I found it very interesting in terms of its sense of maturity. I wonder what kind of environment it is aged in in the US. At any rate, it doesn't seem to be a cool environment.
Also, as is common in recent Lowland or Irish whiskies, many malts with standout fruitiness are accompanied by nuances of green grassiness or pickled leafy vegetables that I dislike. As someone from a generation that has drunk whiskies without those notes, it has been difficult to give a high rating based on fruitiness alone. Furthermore, whiskies where the fruitiness from bourbon-style cask influence is at the forefront, masking the character of the base spirit, are popular but not quite to my taste. In that regard, this COPPER WORKS from Bar Gosse has herbal and spicy elements, but the grassiness contributes to making the fruitiness more complex. It is said to be a first-fill bourbon cask, but that cask influence merges with the fruity character of the spirit without being unpleasant, resulting in a finish that feels like it's at its peak.
It seems it would be delicious not only neat but also with water or as a soda highball, where the fruitiness would expand.
I tasted it without prejudice, with only information like the distillery name, aging years, and ABV. However, when I later saw the comments from the owner, Mr. Yui, mentioning "white grapes" and "dill," I felt those nuances were exactly there when I drank it again—I felt a bit outdone. (laughs)
Congratulations to Bar Gosse and Mr. Yui on your 10th anniversary.
It is a commemorative bottle that is "typical" of you in many ways. Thank you for letting me taste something so interesting.