Corsair Galaxy is my least favorite of the Corsair hopped whiskeys I’ve had. I can’t say for sure, but it could be that I’m just not a huge Galaxy hops fan. Different hops have different characteristics which lead to different qualities in beer and so it could just be that this style of hops doesn’t hit me right because I know I’m a Corsair single malt fan. I got to try some at the Corsair distillery last summer and it was fantastic.
The process Corsair used to ruin one of their perfectly good single malts is fairly simple. They loaded a vapor basket with Galaxy hops, put that basket in the head of the still and then let the hot alcohol rich vapor pass through it on its way to the condenser. This infuses the spirit with the flavor and aroma of the hops and is a way to add additional characteristics to a spirit without changing the mashbill.
Corsair Galaxy Info
Region: Tennessee, USA
Distiller: Corsair
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley (vapor hopped)
Cask: New charred oak (15 gallon barrels)
Age: NAS (typically age for 5-10 months)
ABV: 46%
Price: $50
Corsair Galaxy Review
EYE
Dark orange
NOSE
Orange cleaner, grains, citrus peel, a waxy box of lemon heads candy and a light bit of wood and cocoa. On the whole it’s rather light with that orange cleaner note sticking out the most.
PALATE
Citrus perfume, orange oil furniture polish, bitter grapefruit rind, light pine, coca and mint. Like the aroma it’s pretty light with that perfume / cleaner like orange note sticking out heavily.
FINISH
Medium, citrus oil, grain, canned pineapple juice – tinny citrus.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not well balanced – harsh notes ride high, round body, oily slick feel.
OVERALL
Their other hopped whiskeys are not bad, and two are even good, but the Corsair Galaxy just hits me completely wrong on all fronts. Though I should mention that at the tasting there were a few folks who liked it and I suspect that it has a bit to with beer preferences. I like Saisons and Farmhouse ales and while I do like a good IPA from time to time it’s rarely my first choice and I know that Galaxy hops get used often in current craft and experimental IPAs. Though single hop beers featuring it are difficult to find since it’s a relatively new, and relatively rare, hop in the beer scene.
On the surface it doesn’t sound like a far fetched theory and maybe someday I’ll get to setup a blind single hop beer & whiskey experiment and prove it all out. Though in an attempt to lay the groundwork for that future tasting I picked up a bottle of Craft Artisan Ales Nebulous IPA which, as you can see, is a “Galaxy Hopped” beer. I did find some of the same notes in it and honestly didn’t care much for it so the verdict isn’t looking good for Galaxy hops, but the jury is still out. Though after several different tastes I know for sure that I’m not a fan of the Corsair Galaxy.
SCORE: 73-76/100 (C, consumed at a tasting)
