Sitting right next to The Whisky Shop, Tennessee-based Corsair Distillery held the second booth at this year's Whiskies of the World San Francisco. They had four spirits available to taste, though we'll only go into detail on three of them today.
That's because their fourth offering, the Corsair Triple Smoke, is a long-time favorite I'm well familiar with. Having tried it at many past iterations of this event, I even bought a bottle a few years back and enjoyed every drop. Given the large number of pours available at the event, I elected to skip the Triple Smoke this year. While we won't have tasting notes on this delectable spirit in this article, I highly recommend trying it if you're a fan of smoky whiskies!
Corsair Dark Rye
Our first taste was of the Corsair Dark Rye, which features a mashbill of 61% malted rye, 35% malted barley, and 4% malted chocolate rye, making it a full malt whiskey. The rye-forward nose also yields notes of molasses underneath, giving it a nice balance. It has a medium-light mouthfeel, very smooth with a palate that evokes thoughts of biscotti. The short finish adds a little bit of spice to complete the experience. Overall, it's a delightful dram.
Corsair American Gin
Departing from whiskies for a bit, their next offering was the Corsair American Gin, a very different experience. The nose is clean and herbal, with notes of rosemary. The palate has a medium mouthfeel, with just a hint of orange citrus underneath a surprising bitterness. The finish is short but continues the citrus note a bit further.
Corsair Barreled Gin
Taking the gin concept a step further, Corsair Barreled Gin is aged in the same casks they use in making their spiced rum. The nose was a complex, but delightful mix of herbal, floral, and citrus notes. We detected rosemary, lemongrass, and sage; a really lovely scent overall. The palate has a syrupy mouthfeel with beautiful rosemary and orange citrus notes. The medium-length finish yields a cinnamon spice that really completes the experience.
Corsair always has great spirits to offer every time they come to this event, and this year was no exception. While the Dark Rye surprised me with how delicious it was, my favorite selection at this booth wasn't a whiskey. Instead, I'm going with the Corsair Barreled Gin, which really blew me away. If you're a whiskey fan looking to get into the gin world, this is an excellent place to get started!