Company: Sweet Amber Distilling Co.
Distillery: Undisclosed
Region: Columbus, Ohio
Aging: No Age Statement – finished in Black Brandy Casks
ABV: 60.4% ABV
Proof: 120.8 Proof
Mash Bill: Blend of Straight Whiskeys
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $70
Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Golden Honey
Nose: Buttery caramel, toasted oak, vanilla, butterscotch, cinnamon sugar toast, baking spice, citrus zest, candied fruits
Palate: Warm buttery caramel, bold oak, vanilla, rye spice, pepper notes, dark fruits, candied apricot, caramel apple, baking spice, leather, tobacco, earthy
Finish: Nice long finish with an oily and buttery mouthfeel – leaves you with heavy oak, rich caramel, and butterscotch with a bit of heat and lingering pepper spice
Is Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 an Approachable Whiskey?
Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 is a big and bold whiskey.
Even with the heat from being 120.8 Proof, it still has a nice balance of flavors and sweet smoothness to it.
You would think a blend of straight whiskeys that have a 120 Proof point would blow out your taste buds and leave your mouth full of spicy heat, but this pour is surprisingly smooth and enjoyable.
It may be a bit strong for beginners to whiskey, but I still think everyone would appreciate the flavors and finish on this one.
Is Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 Complex?
Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 has a lot of layers of flavor.
It has all your favorite bourbon notes like rich caramel, heavy oak, and vanilla.
On top of those flavors, you get a lovely layer of fruit notes that come from being finished in Brandy Casks.
These fruit notes were a mix of candied apricots, caramel apples, and hints of black cherry.
In addition to those already full layers of flavor, this whiskey also has rye spice, pepper, and baking spice flavors that really balance out the entire pour.
And to close it all out, the finish is quite spectacular.
I’ve always been a huge fan of finishes that just leave your mouth full of oily and buttery non-chill filtered fullness and this whiskey absolutely does that.
This whiskey just packs a ton of my favorite flavors into a single bottle.
What are Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4’s strongest attribute is that it provides a blend of whiskeys that complement each other extremely well.
Many whiskey drinkers will look down on blends and prefer to go with the single mash bill bourbons and ryes, but sometimes a master distiller can produce an absolutely delicious combination of flavors by pulling flavor profiles from a unique combination of other whiskeys.
This is one of those cases. And not just this bottle, but the Blackened brand of whiskeys seems to be on a hot streak with real winners on the last few bottles I’ve purchased from them.
Is Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 a go-to whiskey?
If this weren’t a limited edition bottle, I could absolutely see myself drinking this whiskey on a regular basis.
It’s rich, full of flavor, packs a ton of ABV, and drinks smoother than most whiskey at this proof-point.
This is a bottle I really enjoy.
Is Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 priced accurately to its quality?
Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 delivers on its price point.
So many bourbons are starting to increase their prices on barrel-proof and single-barrel bottles in the ranges of $75-100 like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and Booker’s Bourbon.
This bottle is right on par with those and I actually prefer this to some of the competitors at the same price point.
Granted, Barrel Proof and Single Barrel releases always vary by which barrel or specific batches, but overall Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4 is a real winner for me.
Conclusion for Blackened Cask Strength Volume 4
Blackened Whiskey really seems to be coming out of the gates strong.
I’ve been a huge fan of every bottle I have tried from them and am starting to trust that when I buy a bottle of Blackened I’m going to be pleased with the flavors.
My favorite is still the Blackened x Wes Henderson which is a partnership with Angel’s Envy and I also purchased the limited edition Batch 100 Limited Edition Box Set which came with vinyl records along with the Blackened Whiskey.
I bought it to celebrate going to the Metallica concert with my friend.
We had a few pours before the show and the concert was just spectacular.
Metallica is one of the bands I grew up learning guitar to and I’m happy to support their whiskey brand when they’re delivering excellent whiskey in each bottle I’ve tried.
If you see a bottle of Blackened Cask Strength on the shelf, pick yourself up a bottle and enjoy!
Let Us Know What You Think
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If you decide to buy yourself a pour of this, please let me know what you think of it on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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