Wanderback Batch No. 02

A little background

Wanderback Batch No. 2 is an American Single Malt Whiskey (yes, with an “e”) that was created in Oregon. The mashbill is very interesting, consisting of Washington Select Pale Malt, Pale Chocolate Malt, Munich Malt, and Crystal Malt. Once the whiskey is aged, it is finished for an additional 6 months in both Nicaraguan ex-rum and Heaven Hill ex-bourbon barrels. This whiskey sits at 100 proof and can be found at an MSRP of around $65.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Dark Amber

Nose

The nose is extremely chocolatey. It is filled with notes of milk chocolate and Tootsie Roll. Some very nice candied orange notes come in to cut through the sweetness, along with gingerbread and an extremely light oak spice. Notes of raisin and vanilla appear to remind you that it was finished in ex-rum casks. The chocolate and candied orange absolutely dominate the nose, in a good way.

Palate

The palate is not quite as sweet as the nose. It has a medium mouthfeel, and is actually rather spicy. Big notes of milk chocolate and orange are present all over the palate. The rum notes of vanilla and raisin are extremely noticeable on the mid-palate, which makes the flavor balance kind of confusing. The front and back palate taste like a whiskey, while the mid palate tastes like a rum. There is a medium-bodied smoke that covers the back of the palate, as well as oak spice.

Finish

The finish is medium, and tastes more like a rum finish rather than a whiskey. The notes that stick around are those from the mid-back palate, which predominantly held that rum flavor. Again, it is kind of odd.

In closing

The palate was very confusing to me. I think that due to the young age, paired with the relatively long time in the rum casks made for an imbalanced whiskey. The flavors were cool, but the balance was very off. It almost tasted like a bourbon barrel-aged rum. So, would I shell out for $65 for a bottle of Wanderback Barch No. 02? In a day when there are so many other options for the same price or less, it would be hard. However, this is certainly a very unique American Single Malt whiskey and will certainly be loved my people who are looking or this specific flavor profile.