Found North Batch 007: 18 Year Old Cask Strength Whisky

Regular price $169.99 Sale

Age: 18 Year Age Statement (blend of 18-24 year whiskies)

Proof: 131.8 proof

Mash bill: 83% Corn | 16% Rye | 1% Malted Barley

Maturation: New American, Ex-Bourbon & Hungarian Oak

Bottle Outrun: 3345

Tasting Notes: The blend reveals a rush of brown sugar, taffy and caramel before it settles nicely into a mingling of citrus and dried pears. It has undercurrents of maple syrup on heartily buttered crepes. The palate is silken with a rich creaminess, caramel and lovely oak tannin. It evolves into a crackling cinnamon and sugar mid-palate and retains it’s dark chocolate, leather and treacle long into the finish.

About the product: The focal point of Batch 007 is a 1998 vintage corn component aged in ex-bourbon barrels. The ‘98 is the first whisky we’ve blended with that contained such a rich combination of sweet florality on the nose and thick, viscous caramel on the body. It lends this whisky elegance and presence. We matched the ‘98 with a pair of 22 year corn components, one in ex-bourbon and the other in new American oak. The 22 year in ex-bourbon, allowed the fruit and floral notes to ripen, while the 22 year in new American oak added velvety tannins and lavish wood sugars. Once we had fully composed the corn side, we turned to an old favorite rye whisky, our 2004 vintage in Hungarian oak. The rye bolstered the baking spices and enlivened the body of the whisky. At 131.8 proof, the resulting blend achieves balance without sacrificing oomph.

Why We Made this Whisky?

We made this whisky because of the 1998 vintage corn component and what it allowed us in terms of the body, fruit and spice combination. Fruit notes at this proof, with such a velvety palate are incredibly rare and to be able to make a whisky that had the fruit and the viscosity with the requisite spice character to be a Found North release was special. Moreover, we made this whisky because of, and in spite of, the 18 year and 11 month old rye component. We could have waited a month and added a year to the age-statement, but we knew we had the blend just right. One of our core tenants as whisky makers is to make the whisky 1% better as many times as possible. If you do that over the course of the process you will make good whisky into truly lovely whisky. Another core tenant is to never sacrifice flavor. In blending and bottling this whisky when we were sure we had it right, we held ourselves to both of those standards.

Manager’s Proof

On the back of the bottle you will notice something new at Found North. We introduced a concept we call Manager’s Proof. The benefit of releasing whisky at cask strength is the opportunity it gives the whisky drinker to explore the full range of flavor possibilities in our whiskies. But, we also have a favorite way to drink our whisky. In the case of Batch 007, we believe this whisky is at its peak when you add .6mls to a 50ml pour. By adding these few drops of water you will immediately notice a full on eruption of fruit notes on the nose, as well as an array of baking spices on the palate.