Platte Valley Corn Whiskey is fairly unique among corn whiskeys because it’s been aged for 3 years in used cooperage. Most corn whiskey you see on the market today, sometimes marketed as moonshine, is aged for 6 months or less. Unlike bourbon which has to spend some amount of time in new charred oak, be it 20 seconds or 20 years, corn whiskey doesn’t have to be aged at all and new make can be sold as corn whiskey. Though there are other requirements that need to be met for it to be called a corn whiskey.
Per the TTB, to qualify as a corn whiskey, it must be “…produced at not exceeding 80% alcohol by volume (160 proof) from a fermented mash of not less than 80 percent corn and if stored in oak containers stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in used or uncharred new oak containers and not subjected in any manner to treatment with charred wood.” The reason, the 80%+ corn mash whiskey can only be stored in uncharred or used barrels if because if it’s stored in new charred oak it would be a bourbon. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on to the Platte Valley Corn Whiskey review!
Platte Valley Corn Whiskey Info
Region: Missouri, USA
Bottler: McCormick Distilling
Cask: Used bourbon barrels
Age: 3 years
ABV: 40%
Price: $20
Platte Valley Corn Whiskey Review
EYE
Pear juice
NOSE
Corn, vanilla, strawberry gummies, a touch of spice and a hint of caramel. Not a whole lot going on, but it’s inoffensive and nice with no off notes or spirity notes causing a ruckus.
PALATE
Corn, vanilla, fruit and a very light spice. The fruit comes across like a hybrid of tropical and orchard fruit that’s a bit heavier on the tropical notes. A banapplenut if you will.
FINISH
Gone in a flash leaving only a fleeting impression of corn, vanilla and dried fruit.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not much to balance, but what’s there is nicely lined up. Thin body and watery texture complete the simple-as-can-be picture.
OVERALL
Platte Valley Corn Whiskey is decent, but I like Balcones Baby Blue and Mellow Corn more with Mellow Corn leading this strange little pack in terms of value. It’s about as simple of a whiskey as it gets, but that doesn’t actually mean it’s bad, in fact I enjoy sipping it quite a bit, I just have to be in the right mood because of how light is. I’ve also found it’s not that great for cocktails or to eat with heavy meals, but is an alright compliment to lighter meals or just for sipping in the afternoon. It’s a clean, straight forward whiskey that’s worth a try if you get the chance. Just don’t expect it to blow your socks off.
SCORE: 78/100
