Just before the start of 2016, we received an email from Brass Ring Spirit Brands of Greenville, SC asking if we were interested in reviewing their new line of flavored whiskies called Whiskey Girl. Given our past experiences with flavored whiskies, I was hesitant to accept their offer, but Limpd changed my mind thanks to the following email:
As long as we can provide a fair and unbiased review of the whiskies, then I say why not accept the samples. And since this product is clearly geared towards the ladies, maybe we can get The Benevolents in on the tasting as well. The more opinions the better!If you're a regular reader, then you already know who we mean when we say The Benevolents. For those of you that are new to the Booze Dancing party, let me explain...
The Benevolents, which is shorthand for The Benevolent Dictators, refers to our lovely wives, i.e. Mrs. Limpd (aka Benita, as in Mussolini) and Mrs. G-LO (aka Madame Rouge, as in the Khmer Rouge). I know what you're going to ask. Do we really call our wives, the mothers of our children, these names to their face? Yes, indeed we do. I guess you could say that we occasionally like to push the envelope with our better halves (or maybe we just have a death wish). Our mantra: Sleep with one eye open. Ain't love grand?
So now that you know how and why we roped our wives into this review, let's get a bit more information about these flavored whiskies. Here's what Brass Ring Spirit Brands has to say about the subjects of this here review:
- Whiskey Girl Peach - An orchard of homegrown goodness, this lightly sweet fruit-based whiskey is peach flavored to perfection. Whiskey Girl Peach is great for sipping neat, pouring over ice or mixing in your favorite craft cocktail.
- Whiskey Girl Apple and Maple - Whiskey Girl Apple & Maple is a contemporary twist on a traditional "apple pie". It's a delicate blend with fresh apple flavor, and hints of rich maple and lime.
- Whiskey Girl Butterscotch - Smooth and decadent, Whiskey Girl Butterscotch is meant to be enjoyed right 'til the last drop. Treat yourself and try it over ice cream or in coffee.
With the backstory out of the way, let's get down to business and taste some booze!
Carolina Fuzzy Peach
Madame Rouge says...
Smells like overripe fruit mixed with brown sugar. The taste reminds me of Juicy Peach body wash / lotion / perfume from The Body Shop.Benita says...
Smells like organic disinfectant with a hint of peach. The taste is very smooth. Way better than it smells. I'm pleasantly surprised because I don't particularly like peach flavored drinks.Limpd says...
Big blast of peach on the nose. Smells quite schnappy and a little candied. The taste is cordial friendly with a bit of heat. While I would never call this a whisky, it's not a bad blend of whisky-like flavor and peach juice.G-LO says...
This smells like I stuck my head into a bag of gummi sour peach slices. The first thing I smell is the sugary sweetness that is the outside of those sugar encrusted candies. After that, I get some mild alcohol vapors followed by some whisky-like scents, clove, and cinnamon. The taste is quite syrupy with very little alcohol burn. Tastes like one of those peach pastries filled with vanilla pastry cream that I've seen at wedding dessert buffets (love those things!).
Red Apple, Green Apple, Maple, and Lime
Madame Rouge says...
Smells very sweet with the apple scents fading in and out. The taste is very sweet with lots of maple and very little apple. Smoother and easier to drink than the Peach (i.e. less bite). A bit more apple flavor comes through with the 2nd sip.Benita says...
Oh wow! Smells like I just ripped open a bag of Quaker Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal. The taste is very sweet and "bitey". Not getting much maple. Apple dominates. A hint of caramel comes through with the 2nd sip.Limpd says...
Aroma wise, this is a bit of a mash-up with no one note coming to the forefront. I smell a little green apple, a little maple like a Canadian maple leaf cookie, or maybe a hint of Carvel Maple Walnut ice cream, and then a key lime pie yogurt kick. Tastes like it smells. It's almost as if all of those competing flavors are in the midst of a battle royal. The only flavor not coming through is the whisky.G-LO says...
There's a tartness coming through in the nose thanks to the lime. Also getting some green apple. The maple comes through next and combines with the apple scents to make me think of a caramel wrapped Granny Smith apple. Also getting some clove and brown sugar way off in the distance. The mouthfeel is a bit thicker than the Peach. Guessing that's because of the lower ABV. There's an odd mix of flavors going on. Starts off as that caramel coated Granny Smith. After that it gets all tarted up with a sour apple and lime combo. Ends with some baking spices and a spun maple sugar sweetness.
Butterscotch
Madame Rouge says...
Smells like Bananas Foster and caramel followed immediately by an undercurrent of puke. Or maybe it was rancid buttered popcorn that I smelled. Super sweet and smooth tasting at first, and then "BOOM!", it gets you right across the tongue. G-LO suggested trying it over ice. Much better!Benita says...
Smells like caramel and stale movie theater popcorn with extra butter. A little rough going down at first, but then I got a good taste of a Butterscotch Lifesaver. I'm with Madame Rouge with regards to having it over ice. A definite improvement!Limpd says...
Wow! As soon as the glass was filled I could smell it from three feet away. I'm getting Butter Rum Lifesavers or maybe a Werther's. Up close it smells like Smucker's Butterscotch ice cream topping. The taste is not so syrupy but still overly sweet with a follow up of whisky flavor and a little heat.G-LO says...
Whoa! I haven't even put my nose in the glass and I can already smell freshly made caramel popcorn. When I move in a little closer, I also get brown butter, sugar, vanilla, nougat, and a hint of clove. Interestingly enough, I don't smell any whisky. Ok, so maybe a hint of whisky comes through when I take a sip. After that, we go back to all of the stuff that I picked up in the nose. Some caramel and cinnamon shows up in the aftertaste.Some Final Thoughts...
Here are some general thoughts about the Whiskey Girl brand that were written down during our tasting session:
- Limpd and I both had an issue with the use of the word "whiskey". It's our understanding that for any product to be classified as a whisk(e)y, it has to have a minimum ABV of 40%. In our opinion, Whiskey Girl should be labeled as a "whisk(e)y based liqueur or cordial".
- While we liked the overall design of the packaging (bottle shape, labels, etc.), we thought that the lipstick kiss on the label was kind of cheesy. Limpd thinks that it should be replaced with a symbol of the fruit or whatever ingredient was used to flavor the product. I agree 100%.
- Since I still have a bit of PTSD from my brief tasting of the Skinny Girl Margarita, I'm not too crazy about the Whiskey Girl name in general. I don't hate it, but I don't see why thy didn't use the Dark Corner Distillery brand for these beverages.
Overall, we found this trio of Whiskey Girl flavored whiskies to be just ok. All four of us thought that they were way too sweet to drink straight, and that they are probably better used as a cocktail component, baking ingredient, or ice cream topping. While we didn't love the Whiskey Girl flavored whiskies as a whole, we definitely liked some more than others. Here are our individual rankings:
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Many thanks to Jillian Stephens of Brass Ring Spirit Brands for the samples!
Categories: Booze Review, Whiskey Girl
Tagged as: booze, Dark Corner Distillery, Drinkwire, Marriage, Review, Reviews, Spirits, The Benevolents, Whiskey, Whiskey Girl, Whisky
