Honest McGee
"Medicial Elixir"
bot. Oct 31, 2009
Blended American Whiskey
abv% uknown
$¢£ priceless
It's about time that I wrapped up this pentad of American whiskies and what better way to do it than with something terribly unique and wholly unusual. I was intending to feature Parker's latest Heritage release but when Greenback Dollar and Associates handed me this wee bottle of goodness at WhiskyFEST NYC earlier this week I knew that it had to be tasted and shared post haste.
With an attractive matte label of vibrant although muted colours, Honest McGee comes complete with multiple text fonts and sizes, but what the text actually says is what is most intriguing:
"twas when he was serving on the western front of the great war that ol' trenchfoot mcgee first created his corn-based medicinal elixir to soothe the nerves of the allied troops. decades later, his great grandson greenie inherited the recipe and set about honoring his ancestor by bottling the elixir and selling it to rubes at a fair price. hand crafted from a blend of elmer t. lee bourbon, ancient ancient age bourbon, and rittenhouse rye (greenie chose to leave out the trench water), then finished in a cask that once contained alvear carlos VII amontillado, honest mcgee's blended american whiskey is as smooth as a southern gentleman, and as sassy as a southern belle."
Sounds delicious. More HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Grape juice and rich, sweet vanilla notes. Sweet and light with a weighty, oaky backbone. Creme brulee, a touch of sage, and more sweet grape notes like gum or juice powder.
Surprisingly mellow considering it is very likely 45% abv or more, with distinctly toasty characteristics. Raisins, vanillin, and oak strike in a quick, staccato chord of flavour that hints at stawberries, almonds and chocolate but alludes to much more than it actually becomes.
SUMMARY:
Not one to mull over for hours but, man, could I ever make this bottle empty quickly! What it lacks in development it more than makes up for in its drinkability:richness ratio. An interesting drop that takes the flavours of Kentucky into new, grape-soaked dimensions. What could very well have been a dry drop (Ancient Age 10yo + Rittenhouse Rye?) actually becomes a great bourbony bed upon which to let Elmer T Lee show all its sweet fruitiness. Add to that the fact that Greenie takes it all to the next juicy level with the amontillado finish and you have a medicinal elixir worth fighting for. More please?
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