It's hard to surprise us here at Seelbach's. We taste a lot of whiskey and see just about every variation of new releases. Then something like World Whiskey Society comes our way! A 13-year, 160+ proof, American Whiskey and a 20-year Cigar blend from Light Whiskey? How did we miss these when they launched? A couple of months ago we had a similar single barrel release that sold out immediately. That had us on the hunt for more of this high proof California American Whiskey. I reached out to my friends over Breaking Bourbon to get their thoughts - turns out it's a bottle they have already reviewed and the 13-year American Whiskey received a rare 4.5/5 from them. With that, I'm excited to introduce Nick's review from Breaking Bourbon.
World Whiskey Society sources a wide range of unusual whiskeys, bottling them in a creative style that makes nearly every release exciting to discover. We reviewed Wyatt Earp American Single Malt and Wyatt Earp Barrel Proof American Single Malt last year, with the lower proof version making our Best American Single Malt Whiskeys of 2024 list. Importantly, both of those releases were sourced from an Oklahoma distillery and were classified as American single malts, with 100% malted barley mashbills. Wyatt Earp 13 Year is completely different, originating from an undisclosed California distillery and is bottled as an American whiskey, due to its malted rye and, quite unusually, malted wheat in its mashbill. The whiskey clocks in at 163 proof, which is an insanely high proof point that isn’t often seen in the American whiskey space.
Despite its incredibly high proof point, Wyatt Earp 13 Year American Whiskey is still quite drinkable, and, amazingly, feels closer to drinking a 125 proof whiskey. Those who enjoy high proof whiskeys will definitely find this falls into manageable territory. Not surprisingly, the whiskey’s flavor profile is entirely different than anything else out there. An almond-centered nutty undertone on the nose lays the base for intense raisin, black cherry, plum, and aged oak. The dark fruits theme continues into the palate, with rich plum, some dried apricot, and peppery oak laying over top of its otherwise developing malty base. It has a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel, and ends on notes of breakfast pastry, Frosted Shredded Wheat cereal, and green tea with lingering spice and heat.
It’s hard to even convey this whiskey with words, as it is just so out there but so satisfying at the same time. Whiskey enthusiasts curious about the unexplored should not hesitate to pick up a bottle.
