CR&FTWERK Brandy
Finished in Against the Grain Smoked Scottish Ale barrels
copper pot-distilled American brandy
55.5% ABV (111 proof)
non-chill filtered, natural color, no boise
not sure about price (press sample)
Intro: this is the second of four reviews (Sierra Nevada reviewed here) of Copper & Kings' new "CR&FTWERK" brandies. This one is aged for a full year in Against the Grain Smoked Scottish Ale barrels (I think it's this one?).
Color: very similar across all four of these brandies: light/medium brown with an orange tint.
Smell: very interesting. My first thought was "smooth Wild Turkey." It's still subtle brandy, but it smells distinctly bourbony - lots of caramel sweetness and quite a bit of cinnamon spice. I also get some tobacco/cigar notes and - strangely - barbecue sauce. Very approachable on the nose.Taste: so smooth. Dark red fruit and caramels on entry. The tobacco note kicks in for me on the midpalate and finish. This drinks much softer and rounder than you may expect given the relatively powerful nose. There's a bit of oak spice and cinnamon on the finish, which really balances out the sweetness nicely and dries you out for your next sip.
Overall: love it, and I slightly prefer it to the Sierra Nevada expression. Highly recommended once it's available. I've tasted a lot of whiskeys over the past year or so, and honestly I think this brandy is almost a dead ringer for the flavor profile of Van Winkle 12 Lot B. I totally forgot to add ice to this during the review (as suggested by Joe Heron), which should tell you everything you need to know about how smooth this is. Damn.
