Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review

I love seeing products like this Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys in the market. It’s not a new idea to take whiskey from other distilleries and blend them to create something new, the whole Scotch industry is built on it, but it is fairly new in America… kinda. More like a modern resurgence […]

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I love seeing products like this Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys in the market. It’s not a new idea to take whiskey from other distilleries and blend them to create something new, the whole Scotch industry is built on it, but it is fairly new in America… kinda. More like a modern resurgence really. Back in ye olden days of American Whiskey, Rectifiers would blend whiskey together from other sources to create their product.

Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review

Four Roses, Old Forester and other big brands all started as “rectified” whiskey blended from multiple sources till their respective distilleries were established or bought. It’s a long standing practice that pretty much died out due to prohibition and wasn’t truly re-embraced till the last 10 years. For a while, you had High West and that was about it. Now you have HW, Barrell, Lost Lantern, these folks (Wonderland) and more sprouting up regularly.

Blending is an art, but it’s an art that’s only as good as the materials used, and American Craft Whiskey definitely has some duds. One might say that it’s plagued by more duds than stars (me, I say that), but it’s all about the source. If you source well and blend well, you’ll end up with something good. Where does this Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys sit? That’s the question at hand and we’ll need to get to drinkin’ to find out.

 

Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys – Details and Tasting Notes

 

Whiskey Details

Style: Blended Whiskey (Straight)
Region: Michigan, USA

Distiller: Various (Undisclosed)
Blender: Wonderland Distillery
Blend: Corn Whiskey + Wheat Whiskey + Rye Whiskey
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 4+ Years
ABV: 59.925%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Price: $62*

Related Whiskeys:

White background tasting shot with the Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys sample bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.
“Wonderland has concentrated the flavor of Michigan into its Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys, for the freedom to mix, proof, blend, and live life at our own pace.” – Wonderland Distilling

Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys Tasting Notes

EYE
Caramel

NOSE
Lemony copper, herbal baking spice, vanilla taffy and a light pop of oak.

Without water I’m not getting much out of the aroma. With water I’m getting a bit more wood and dried fruit… but only just.

PALATE
Lemony metal, tannic craft wood, dried fruit, stale spice and some odd herbal notes.

Water is this whiskey’s enemy. Adding it shoots that tannic craft wood note right to the top and all I end up tasting is that woody note and the metallic lemon note.

FINISH
Med-long -> Crafty wood and metallic lemon.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Not balanced, full body, dry and tannic feel.


Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys – Overall Thoughts and Score

That tannic, crafty wood note keep growing as it goes and adding water makes it worse. This is an incredibly tannic, dry whiskey that instantly sucks all the moisture out of the mouth. It’s like a cup of tea you forgot about and left steeping for an hour… but woody and lemony and metallic.

I get the idea, I like the idea. Blending craft whiskey together to make something new and interesting, but I’m not tasting success here. Lost Lantern is doing the same thing and they’re not doing too bad at it, but it’s all about the sources. If you’re gathering crafty crap, and blending crafty crap, you’re not going to suddenly get a good whiskey. I didn’t think I’d be saying this, but I like this Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys less than the regular Wonderland Blend…

SCORE: 1.5/5 (terrible, only recommendation is to avoid – C- | 70-72)

*Disclosure: The sample for this blended whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys Label

Wonderland Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review $62

Summary

Not a successful blending of casks. Dry, tannic, metallic and harsh, this isn’t something I’d sip again.

Overall
1.5
  • Nose
    (1)
  • Palate
    (2)
  • Finish
    (1.5)
  • BBF
    (1.5)
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Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review

If you’re looking for an American Whiskey version of Canadian Whisky, then look no further than the Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys. To create their concoction, Wonderland sources 100% corn whiskey, 100% wheat whiskey, and 100% rye whiskey and then blends them together in their proprietary blend. This is the same process blended Canadian Whiskies […]

The post Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review appeared first on The Whiskey Jug.

If you’re looking for an American Whiskey version of Canadian Whisky, then look no further than the Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys. To create their concoction, Wonderland sources 100% corn whiskey, 100% wheat whiskey, and 100% rye whiskey and then blends them together in their proprietary blend. This is the same process blended Canadian Whiskies use.

Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review

The main difference between this and Canadian Whisky, aside from location, is the use of new charred oak. Canadian whiskies employ a lot of used cooperage in the aging of their spirits. This, however,  is a blend of straight whiskeys so only new oak was used to comply with their relative laws… except for the corn. If it’s a traditional corn whiskey then used cooperage was used… otherwise, they blended a 100% corn bourbon. Which is possible, but not specifically called out.

Anyways, let’s get to drinkin’ and see what this blend is all about.

 

Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: MI, USA

Distiller: Undisclosed
Blender: Wonderland Distillery
Blend: Corn Whiskey + Wheat Whiskey + Rye Whiskey
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 4+ Years
ABV: 42%

Price: $45*

White background tasting shot with the Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys sample bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.
“Drawing from legacy blending methods, perfected before Prohibition, each grain of our Blend of Straight Whiskeys — corn, wheat and rye — is distilled on its own and independently aged. By blending after maturation, Wonderland creates a consistent flavor profile in every bottle.” – Wonderland Distilling

Tasting Notes

EYE
Med-light caramel

NOSE
Corn, copper, grape-nuts, crafty wood, toffee and a bit of citrus and some rye spice.

Not a super complex aroma, leans crafty at times, but it’s not horrible. It’s on the upper side of craft in its presentation.

PALATE
Corn, copper, crafty wood, grape-nuts, toffee and a bit of citrus and some rye spice.

A touch woodier and craftier, but the palate of the Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys is basically a carbon copy of the aroma.

FINISH
Medium -> Woody, corn, spice and a touch of fruit fades out evenly.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Ok balance, medium body, and a warm soft feel.


Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys – Overall Thoughts and Score

The initial sniff and sip was a bit nutty and spicy and held little else. As it opened, and on subsequent tastings, the craft nature became more and more present. That tannic, woody, cardboardy note slowly rose to a point of prominence, but not dominance, as it opened and remains there, towards the middle-top, as I’m writing this. I think it has great possibility, but I’m not loving where it’s at right now.

I appreciate what they’re trying to do, I like the direction they’re going and this is good start. In America, this is a unique direction to take and we’ll have to see if they continue this same style as their own stock matures. The Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys is an interesting sip, but that tannic-woody-craft note hangs a bit too heavy for me. However, I hope they keep refining this approach and their sourcing because it’s something different in the market.

SCORE: 2/5

*Disclosure: The sample for this whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys Label

Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review $45

Summary

It’s not terrible, it’s kind of interesting and easy to sip on, but it’s not anything exceptional and that crafty note is just present enough I can’t ignore it.

Overall
2
  • Nose
    (2)
  • Palate
    (2)
  • Finish
    (2)
  • BBF
    (2)
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0 (0 votes)
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