Pabst Blue Ribbon Whiskey

My Price: $24.95

Country/Area: Michigan, USA

Distillery: New Holland

Proof/ABV: 80 Proof/ 40% ABV

Mash Bill: 52% Corn, 27% Malted Barley, 17% Wheat, 4% Rye

Barrel: Oak (probably used)

Age: 5 seconds

Nose: New Make, Corn Syrup, Hay

Taste: Toffee, Dark Chocolate, Stone Fruit

Review: I cannot help but feel like this “whiskey” is a but of a thumb of the nose to the people who govern spirits. Aged “5 seconds” in oak to meet the oak aging requirement for Whiskey in America. That being said the 4 grain mash bill makes me wonder if they are actually trying to make an interesting whiskey. The first bottle I remember purchasing seemed heavy with new make and ethanol. However, my most recent bottle purchased, after allowing it to open up for a few months, seems to be a bit more complex. There is no mistaking this for an actually aged whiskey but the taste offers up deep notes of toffee and dark chocolate, likely thanks to the mash bills high malted barely content. If you think of it more as an interesting new make rather than a gimmick it may be worth having a bottle in your bar to explore. Cheers!

My Rating: Sip it. It has some interesting characteristics and is a fun conversation piece as to how weird American Whiskey Laws are.

May the miles you hike be filled with wonder and the glasses you raise be filled with whiskey.

Cheers!

Rating scale:

-Spit: Don’t bother with this one. If a friend gives you a dram of it, are they even your friend?

-Shoot: Good enough to get you drunk.

-Sip: Tasty enough to enjoy neat or on the rocks.

-Stock: I’d recommend keeping a bottle on hand.