This is a young spirit, a new make, fresh off the press from my dear friends at Sugar House Distillery. There’s not much to bounce around here, so let’s jump right into it!
Sugar House New Make Whiskey
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
~$29.99 - Only available at the Distillery shop
43% / 86 Proof
Nose - The nose for me comes in suprisingly pleasant, I must admit. It’s a bright and sweet medly of creamed corn, malted barely, and the classic “Sugar House Powder” taste I describe in most of their spirits, this lovely bright white sugar note that makes me think of sticking my nose in a sugar cube tray, all of which peters down with a hint of rye bread on the end.
Palette - As expected with a new make, ethanol comes off strong at the front of the New Make, but there are colorful nuances of sweet corn, marbled rye, and rain or river water. Further tasting brings in the subtle clinking and clanking of distillery piping and notes of metallic copper.
Finish - The finish is similar to a vodka finish, warm all the way down with nothing particularly remarkable coming in with the aftertaste, which should actually add a point to the experience of the new make, as it seems to deliberately cover it’s tracks as it settles.
Thoughts - When I spoke with James Fowler - the owner who, just through walk in I was able have a one on one tasting with - he warned me about the new make, likely due to me looking like a bit of a whiskey novice having a slight buzz on my way out, telling me that I might not enjoy it as much as their bottled whiskeys. And of course, he has good reason to say this; Whiskey gets about 90% of it’s flavor from the interaction the recipe has with the sugars and char of the barrel it rests in. But I think they New Make has something to say about the creativity and artistic mastery the boys at Sugar House have to offer, coming straight off the still and presenting a taste that is appreciable at the very least. It’s not bad; Sure, it’s an unfinished product, but it’s a fun little treat for whiskey connoisseurs to have a shot at, and maybe make a mixed drink out of if one has a high enough disdain for rum and vodka. Even more unique, I was able to get a bottle from the first batch of the stuff, which I think is super bad ass.
8/10 (for a new make)
It stands above the rest of the new make / light whiskey families as a bottle that shows the promise of Sugar House Distillery’s dedication to quality.