Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years Review

Aged 12 years, distilled by MGP and picked out by a wine sommelier, this Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years sounds interesting on the surface. Unser the surface, it’s related to the High West Light Whiskey. Distilled at a higher proof than other American Whiskeys are allowed, and aged in used cooperage. This is a corn driven whiskey (99%) that keeps popping up now and then.

And I get it. I get why it keeps showing up here and there. Like grain whisky in Scotland, light whiskey in the USA is cheap to get at a higher-than-average age and is unusual compared to other whiskeys on the market. But that doesn’t mean they’re great and like grain whisky, on the whole, I think light whiskey makes a better blend component than a neat drinker. It’s essentially, though not technically, grain neutral spirit aged in a used cask.

That’s not to say I haven’t had a good grain whisky or two, it happens, so it stands to reason that there should be a tasty light whiskey out there right? Maybe this is the one. Only way to find out is to get to drinkin’ and dive in to this review.

Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: Indiana, USA

Distiller: MGP
Bottler: Hooten Young
Mash Bill: 99% Corn, 1% Malted Barley
Cask: Refill Oak
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 46% ABV

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Price: $70*

White background tasting shot with the Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“Hooten Young was crafted to help folks slow down, bond with the people around them, and remember those who are no longer here.” – Hooten Young

Tasting Notes

EYE
Pale caramel

NOSE
Spirity and cloying with notes of orchard fruit, banana, vanilla custard, spice, creamy citrus and a heavy butterscotch that reminds me a bit of Canadian Whisky.

This reminds me a lot of that High West 14 Years Light Whiskey. It’s light, topical, and hits some weirdly cloying sweet notes while being spirity.

PALATE
Spirity vanilla, cloying butterscotch (Canadian-like), orchard fruit, banana taffy, vanilla custard, spice and some creamy citrus hints.

Wow, that Canadian butterscotch note is so heavy on the Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years’ palate. I keep thinking of Black Velvet mixed with that High West…

FINISH
Med-short -> Canadian whisky butterscotch and baking spice fade to a banana taffy and woody profile.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Not fully balanced, med-light body and a light, slightly watery, feel.

Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years – Overall Thoughts and Score

It’s spirity, cloyingly butterscotch-driven and on the whole it’s lacking any real body or depth. The more it opens, the more it makes me think of the High West light whiskey mixed with a standard Canadian whisky. Though it’s not all bad. Under these spirity and cloying notes are some decent fruit, spice and dessert notes.

If it could flip the ratios so more of those fruity-spicy notes showed, the Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years, and related MGP light whiskeys, might not be so bad. This style of whiskey also seem to be ripe for some barrel finishing and might seariously soak up some rum, sherry or port character to cover up the raw spirity nature. But as they’re presented now, there’s a reason light whiskey has never caught on and I kinda wish people would stop trying to make it happen; fetch is not going to happen.

SCORE: 2/5

*Disclosure: The sample/bottle for this whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.