Sons of Liberty Hop Flavored Whiskey – Review

Sons of Liberty Hop Flavored Whiskey

80 Proof

Price Point: $35 – $45 for 750 ML (375 ML pictured)

Distiller: Sons of Liberty Spirits Co.

Background

One thing I have always loved about whiskey is that there’s always something new to try; always some new innovation.  One thing I am not particularly crazy about is flavored whiskey, but I am making an exception here.  I first noticed Sons of Liberty, a distillery out of Rhode Island, on Twitter (you can follow them here).  They posted a photo of their Hop Flavored Whiskey, and my mouth immediately began to water.  A description of this flavored whiskey from their website reads as follows: “This whiskey started its life as an IPA.  After retaining the IPA flavors through distillation we aged the whiskey in American oak barrels.  Once the aging process was complete, we finished the whiskey by dry hopping with Citra and Sorachi Ace hops for bright and complementary floral notes.”

Being a lover of India Pale Ales and whiskey (a combination I never thought possible), I knew I had to try this stuff.

Review

Sons of Liberty Hop Flavored Whiskey smells like white dog, right off the bat.  I’m guessing that if this whiskey did indeed spend any time in a barrel, it was minimal.  It does have a floral nose to it, suggesting hops, but I’m not sure I would have picked that up in a blind test.  Perhaps a little citrus on the nose, as well.

My first impression of the taste is again, white dog.  I’m still having a difficult time finding a distinct hops flavor in Sons of Liberty Hop Flavored Whiskey.  At this point, I’m starting to get a little more green apple than citrus (hops).  This whiskey is not all that smooth, and lacks complexity.

The finish is malty and long lasting.

Rating & Recommendations

I give Sons of Liberty Hop Flavored Whiskey a rating of 76 out of 100.

This is an interesting concept, and I certainly respect that Sons of Liberty doesn’t cut corners and add artificial flavoring.  But I’m not sure what all the hype is about.  This tastes very much like any other microdistillery’s white dog.

Next on the list is their Pumpkin Spice Flavored Whiskey…

-Ryan