Golden Gate Whisky Mizunara Single Cask Review

When it comes to the Golden Gate Whisky Mizunara Single Cask, they literally mean single cask. They have one, single, Mizunara cask their whiskey is aged in. Distilled at Sutherland Distillery for Standard and Strange, this rye, barley and wheat whiskey is made from CA grown grain, via regenerative processes, and aged for 12 months in a new Mizunara cask.

The Golden Gate Whisky Co. (standard and Strange) doesn’t have a distillery but instead is contract distilled by their distilling partner, Rob Easter. I have nothing against contract distilling, I just bring it up as a point of fact. Just like I have to bring up that this is a one-year-old whisky retailing for $135. It’s rare I comment on price, but this one caused some true sticker shock.

Value is in the bank account of the beholder, so who knows. Maybe this is a knockout whisky that has the same fully developed profile and depth of character as a comparably priced whisky. There’s only one way to find out, so let’s get to drinkin’ and see what’s in this bottle.

Golden Gate Whisky Mizunara Single Cask – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: California, USA

Distiller: Sutherland Distillery
Mash Bill: 70% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, 10% Wheat
Cask: New Charred Oak, Mizunara
Age: 1 year
ABV: 55%
Bottles: 250

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Price: $135*

White background tasting shot with the Golden Gate Whisky Mizunara Single Cask bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“We filled this extremely rare cask with California-grown rye and barley distilled in the bay area. These bottles are from the cask-conditioning fill of this new oak cask, and have a rowdy nature to them with spicy tones.” – Standard and Strange

Tasting Notes

EYE
Coppery honey

NOSE
Crafty wood, golden raisins, dried orchard fruit and an astringent butyric-like note that starts light but grows quickly.

It’s kind of like if Sunkist Fruit Gems could go bad, there’s a definite, and growing off note that, to be frank, is a bit vomity. The nice way to say something smells or tastes a bit vomity is to say that it is butyric so we’ll stick to that for the rest of this review.

PALATE
Crafty raw wood, golden raisins, spice, stale dried orchard fruit, tannic astringency and a more-than-noticeable butyric note coupled with some old tobacco and nuts.

That unintegrated, raw, note rages through the palate, followed by a butyric sidekick, and overpowers the nicer notes hiding in the Golden Gate Whisky Mizunara Single Cask.

FINISH
Medium -> Raw wood, golden raisins and spice fade to a musty butyric note and VERY overripe banana.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Not balanced at all, med-light body with a dry tannic feel.

Golden Gate Whisky Mizunara Single Cask – Overall Thoughts and Score

There are some decent fruity notes that come and go, but they’re mostly boarded over by that raw crafty-woody note that plagues the American craft whiskey world. As an added kicker, there’s a not-too-subtle butyric note that jabs the senses from aroma to the finish. Either of these factors can turn me off to a whisky, but adding them together makes for a truly unpleasant experience.

To be clear, I’m not saying the equipment they used was infected with the kind of bacteria that causes these butyric notes. I don’t work there, so I don’t know. I’m saying that some combination of the young spirit, cask, etc. has created a note I associate with infected, butyric, beers and products. Golden Gate Whisky Mizunara Single Cask is a massive swing and a miss for me, but others seem to like it so… yeah.

SCORE: 1/5

*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.