Tasting Notes

Producing WhiskyCast has given me the opportunity to taste some really amazing whiskies, and I’m pleased to share my tasting notes with you here. You can search my entire database of tasting notes from this page, and I hope you’ll find it useful.

Eastside Distilling Oregon Marionberry Whiskey

Country: USA

Region:

Type: American Flavored Whiskey

Bottler: Eastside Distilling

ABV: 30%

Score: 83 Points

Eastside Distilling Oregon Marionberry Whiskey. Image courtesy Eastside Distilling.This whiskey won’t be for everyone, and let’s get that out of the way right now. It’s technically not a whiskey, since it’s bottled at 30% ABV and probably should be considered a liqueur. It’s ruby-red from the Oregon marionberries used to flavor it with a taste somewhere between cranberries and raspberries on the berry spectrum…probably closest to elderberries.

The nose is dominated by the marionberries and a hint of vanilla, and most of the usual whiskey notes are muted to the barest whiff of aroma. The marionberry flavor also dominates the palate, with a slight tartness and a hint of licorice on the tongue. Once again, there aren’t a lot of the usual whiskey notes to excite traditionalists. The finish is dry and dominated by berry tartness.

If I had been tasting this blind, I would probably have said it was a brandy, not a whiskey. That said, it stands on its own merits and is a quite pleasant dram. It’s certainly a change of pace from regular whiskies. (February, 2015)