Kinsey 7 Year Old Whiskey
86.8 Proof
Price Point: $35 – $45 for 750 ML
Distiller: The New Liberty Distillery
Background
I cannot say I know all that much about this whiskey, despite its close proximity to where I live. I was sent a small sample and an online folder with images and a press release. The release says:
“Kinsey 7 Year Old Whiskey is made from 100% corn, aged in reused oak cooperage, and bottled at 86.8 proof. Kinsey 7 Year Old Whiskey has also been sourced, blended and bottled by Robert J. Cassell and a former employee of Continental Distilling consulting.”
It explains the distillery’s roots and mission further:
“With roots that stretch back to the earliest days of American distilling, the modern Kinsey Whiskey Distillery was owned by the Continental Distilling Company of Pennsylvania. The Kinsey Whiskey Brand enjoyed its heyday in the 1950’s and 1960’s but ultimately ceased distilling in the late 1970’s. ‘The New Liberty Distillery is proud to be a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania distillery, so it was appropriate to make our first product offering a throwback to the history and tradition of Pennsylvania whiskey’ says Charles Ho, Partner at the New Liberty Distillery. ‘It was a long journey for us to research, then source and blend our interpretation of Kinsey Whiskey.’
‘Building the Kinsey Whiskey blend was like putting together a puzzle. It was challenging to find the kind of whiskies that could work together to create a true interpretation of Kinsey Whiskey’, says Robert Cassell, Master Distiller at the New Liberty Distillery. ‘There was a lot of trial and error to get to the right Kinsey Whiskey blend. I think the final Kinsey Whiskey blend maintains the character of post-prohibition Pennsylvania Whiskey. Luckily we have the benefit of modern filtration and blending techniques to maintain consistency.””
To summarize, this is a new distillery, sourcing whiskeys to blend to come close to replicating its namesake brand’s historic recipe. Its Master Distiller is sourcing rather than distilling, at least for now.
Review
The nose starts out light and crisp, with odd pot still characteristics surprisingly similar to Jameson Irish Whiskey. There are some subtle sugar cane notes and pine needles. It’s hard to believe that the mash bill is 100% corn.
Oddly enough, this tastes very much like an Irish whiskey, as the nose suggests. It has a flat and bitter taste – not much to it. It does not seem at all like an American whiskey (certainly does not share the qualities of a traditional bourbon or rye).
Kinsey 7 Year Old has caramel and rum notes on the finish, which are the only real intriguing facets to this whiskey. It sort of tricks you into taking the next sip.
Rating & Recommendations
Kinsey 7 Year Old Whiskey earns a rating of 74 out of 100.
In my opinion (whatever that’s worth), this tastes like a mix of unwanted/uninteresting barrels that the New Liberty Distillery got their hands on for a cheap price. Either that, or the original expression they are trying to replicate was nothing to write home about. Either way, this is not a whiskey I would recommend for the money.
-Ryan
4 comments
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Hello, Ryan.
You’ve got a lot of nerve, rating this swill higher than Old Forester, my current No. 3 non-single barrel/small batch/Van Winkle bourbon. There’s a reason that most American whiskey mashbills contain more than one grain – it’s called a flavor profile, or taste. The question I would ask is what company is currently making single-grain whiskey for the New Liberty Distillery to source & blend. The only single grain whiskey I’m currently aware of is Greenore Irish whiskey, which is also from a 100 percent corn mashbill . . . and it’s also bad. It’s a good thing you didn’t have to lay good geld on the counter for this. Thanks again for taking one for the team & keep up the good work. I’m still reading each of your reviews, always looking for something new to add to my next-to-try list. Speaking of something new, see if you can get your hands on a bottle of Old Forester 1870 Original Batch.
Have a good week at work and give my best regards to the Missus,
Chuck
tried this because it was new to me and they didn’t have Buffalo Trace. Not impressed. Light, no complexity, not worth the money. Poured it out.
To me, it is not the same as Scotch whiskey. It is a kind of imitation. I got hangover from it after only one shot.
Oddly enough, I sort of enjoy this bottle, especially with Wigle distillery’s Rosemary/Lavender bitters. On the rocks, it’s a nice drinkable after-work sip.