Found North's "Batch 005" (The fifth overall release, but the first of its kind for Found North) is a blend of 73% 21 year old corn whiskey and 27% 8 year old wheat whiskey, both from Canada. Whereas all of the brand's previous blends have showcased a variety of unusual casks (from Hungarian oak to ex-Speyside Scotch to ex-Tequila), this one is nothing but new and re-charred American oak. The result is a showcase of the whiskey itself much moreso than the varieties of oak. The corn component, at a whopping 21 years, gives layers of deep sweetness and complexity, with notes of maple and butterscotch rather than the corny grain quality you get in younger whiskeys. This intense richness is then layered in the blending process with the ultra-creamy wheat component, which lends notes of Irish butter, fresh baked bread, and a slightly minty zing. In the end it is a wheater unlike the usual suspects, with much more to offer than just soft pillowy sweetness (though the richness is there to be sure). There are nooks and crannies of complexity all over that you can get lost in, with a nice unique spice that is snappy and characterful, but utterly un-rye like, balanced beautifully by creamy sweetness. Bottled at 58.1% abv.
