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It’s kind of a light whiskey al around and nothing stands out so in that regard it’s balanced. It has a thin light body and a bit of heat going down, but no more than an 84 proof whiskey should have.
I’m so excited for TINCUP fans to try this new aged bourbon whiskey,” Graber said in a news release. “Not only does Fourteener’s name pay homage to the rugged peaks that dot its home state of Colorado, it truly embodies our spirit of adventure. If you’ve ever been on the top of a 14er, you know it’s truly something to celebrate.” There’s a lot of good things going on here. Normally, I like to see that the whiskey is adding something to the drink and in this case it’s meeting that criteria. Those deep and rich flavors are balancing well with the bitter ginger beer, and the peppery spice is adding some complexity to the finish. It’s not quite as spicy as if it were a proper rye whiskey, but it’s still pretty pleasant.
Arrival, Happy Hour and the 1st Night
A whiskey dedicated to a 14er is perfect for Tincup, a brand whose essence screams mountains, hiking and braving the outdoors. Yes, it’s all about the caramel. It’s light in color, which hints at a thinness (which is actually the case). However, since it’s always wise to taste whiskey and never to judge it by its color, don’t let this weak look worry you. Taste Palate: Fairly thin. Spice comes in from the rye, citrus/fruit flavors transfer over from the nose. Normally with the addition of a bit of ice, you lose some of the complexity and the more subtle flavors. But there really aren’t any subtle flavors here to shed. Everything is bold and beautiful, so really all you’re doing is chilling the drink a touch and proofing it down for those who thought there was a bit too much power in that glass. Tincup was founded by Jess Graber in 2014. Originally, Jess and George Stranahan had founded Stranahan’s Whiskey in 2004 out of Denver, Colorado. However, in 2010, Stranahan’s was bought out by Proximo Spirits. Well, under the Proximo umbrella, Jess set out to create a high-rye bourbon which turned into Tincup Whiskey.
Initially it has a sweet graininess to it that gives way to cherries, rye, citrus and a bit of dill. That same nondescript spice from the nose moves effortlessly across the palate but instead of a sweetness, it’s accompanied by a soft minerality that rolls through at the end. As mentioned previously, Tincup was originally a mining town, and the miners would drink out of, and carry gold in, tin cups. For marketing purposes and to pay homage to the old, small town (now a ghost town), Jess names the whiskey Tincup. Tincup Whiskey at First Glance Actually, where Tincup American Whiskey literally comes from is Indiana. It’s made at MGP and then shipped to Colorado so that some finishing touches can be made and the drink can be bottled. The bottle is a sight to behold; it’s a thing of beauty. All glass (no label), the name Tincup is raised along the side, and the cap is an actual, honest-to-goodness, tin cup that can be used to drink your whiskey from and makes it an ideal bottle to share. How Is Tincup American Whiskey Made?While Stranahan’s was very successful, consumers had trouble accepting that American single malt whiskey — which still to this day is a lesser-known category — was really American whiskey. Since then, the brand has launched that whiskey — Tincup American Whiskey — as well as a rye, a 10-year-old bourbon and now the Fourteener. Sourced whiskies can certainly vary in their quality which is something that makes them both problematic and interesting. If you can find a good one, value for money isn’t a problem. Otherwise, it can be a big bite out of your bourbon budget. Understanding how something is going to taste is key to making this all-important purchasing decision. Smell The tasting, hosted in the scenic overlook room at Twin Owls, was led by Graber and Proximo whiskey educator Jason Levinson. This is just the original Tincup that has been aged 10 years. The extra 6 years in oak casks add a bit more depth than the original has. Stronger flavors of oak and leather are prominent. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t bottle this at a higher abv. Tincup Rye
After that proprietary mixing of bourbons happens at MGP they ship the whiskey to the Stranahan’s facility in Colorado where Jess and his crew do two things to it before bottling. They cut the whiskey with Colorado water and they add a little bit of Stranahan’s to the mix which, as Jess says, “is like adding salt and pepper to your meal, it’s just a little bit”. He won’t disclose how much, but at that point it couldn’t be called a bourbon any more anyways since it has another liquor added to it. Like the Jim Beam Spanish Brandy it would have to adopt a much clunkier name like “Bourbon Whiskey finished with Colorado Malt Whiskey” (or something like that). At which point using the catchall American Whiskey is a whole lot easier while simultaneously removing it from mental competition with bourbon. In this case, however, things are much better. Those bold rich notes are the perfect balance for the old fashioned mixings, and the latent cherry flavor in the spirit itself serves to amplify the cherries added as a garnish. It’s damn good, actually. Fizz (Mule) This is the Tincup whiskey we’ve covered thus far. It is a blend of MGP high rye bourbon and Stranahan’s Single Malt. Aged at least four years in #3 charred oak barrels and bottled at 42% abv (84 proof). Tincup 10 A lodge at the foot of that very same mountain Graber climbed so many years ago was the perfect place to taste the Fourteener for the first time, and we’re glad we were able to be some of the first ones to taste it. Tincup also makes its bottles hexagonal — instead of the standard cylindrical shape — for an outdoorsy reason. If you’re out camping, hiking or climbing and want to set your bottle down, the edged shape will prevent it from rolling away.A nice caramel moves out first and is soon accompanied by some light nondescript spice, rye, a light touch of wood, green apples and a touch of dill. There is a sprinkling of cinnamon and a dusty sweetness that reminds me of Sweet Tarts and Pixie Stix. It isn’t all about taste. Much of what goes into our purchasing decisions revolves around price. Below, we are going to cover the average price of a bottle and handle of Tincup. As a note, prices may vary depending upon individual store and location. In this post we’re going to cover the basic history, tasting notes, and best ways to drink Tincup Whiskey. So, if you have Colorado roots or are just interested in trying Tincup, keep on reading, and we’ll give you all the information you need. Tincup Whiskey History
NOSE: Rich cocoa and honey, waffle batter, toffee and a touch of praline, caramel. It’s surprisingly nutty, a good deal of peanut brittle, light almond and a touch of walnut. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. These are some frequently asked questions about Tincup Whiskey. Many of these are covered in the article above. Is Tincup a Good Whiskey? First off let me say that Jess is a nice, up front guy. He started the call by letting me know that it was a sourced whiskey (which I already knew) and that in no way does he consider this to be a craft whiskey like Stranahan’s. He then went on to explain that one of the reasons for not wanting to call it a bourbon is because he didn’t want to compete head-to-head with all of the other bourbons in the market. He wanted to create a slightly different flavor than what’s already out there so he worked with MGP on a proprietary blend of bourbons which resulted in the mashbill listed below. The bottle makes no bones about the fact that the majority of this whiskey comes from MGP in Illinois, but there’s a twist here.We recently tasted Fourteener alongside other members in the Tincup lineup via Zoom, with distiller Jess Graber and Jason Levinson, whiskey educator for Proximo, guiding the way. Thoughts on the new release follow.
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