Good Deeds malt whiskey supports a good cause, but does it taste good? – Robb report

American single malts have gained traction in recent years, with the majority of them being made in the United States and sourced from the craft distilleries community. Although production methods vary slightly, whiskey is still made from 100% malted barley and aged in new and used oak barrels. In addition to promoting their own products, some distilleries have also stepped up their altruism, apparently in response to the news of recent years as much as their innate moral compass. Good Deeds malt whiskey is the most recent example of this movement.

Good Deeds is a collaboration between 10 artisanal distilleries, each of which donated whiskey to the blend, hence the designation “malt whiskey” instead of “single malt”. What started as a Facebook group called Good Guys Distillers in 2017 has evolved into Good Deeds Spirits this year with a stated mission to collaborate on unique whiskey releases that will benefit different causes in the spirits industry. Or, as the press release says, “be a force for good”.

This inaugural release is a blend of whiskey from the following distilleries, some of which are donating the first they have ever released: Balcones Distilling (Waco, TX), Bently Heritage Estate Distillery (Minden, NV), FEW Spirits (Evanston, IL) , Headframe Spirits (Butte, MT), Rogue Spirits Distillery (Newport, OR), Santa Fe Spirits (Santa Fe, NM), Sonoma Distilling Company (Rohnert Park, CA), State Line Distillery (Madison, WI), Triple Eight Distillery (Nantucket, MA) and Thornton Distilling Company (Thornton, IL). Descriptions of the specifications of each whiskey, including age and mash bill, can be found here if you are interested in the smallest details. The blenders in charge of the project were Johnny Jeffery of Bently Heritage Estate Distillery, Randy Hudson of Triple Eight Distillery and John McKee and Reade Huddleston of Headframe Spirits. After blending, the whiskey was put in old bourbon barrels to marry for five months at Headframe in Butte before being bottled at 46% ABV.

On the nose of this blend, we first encounter brown sugar, honey, dried fruits and some notes of caramel. One sip reveals a complex blend of flavors, including notes of candied apple, cinnamon, leather, vanilla and raisin. Finally, some orange and cherry lingers on the relatively smooth finish. Overall, this is an interesting American whiskey, one that those who haven’t yet ventured beyond the world of bourbon and rye will likely appreciate.

There are only 1,000 bottles available for purchase online, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to STEPUP, an initiative founded by the American Craft Spirits Association that focuses on diversity and inclusion in a industry that has not always been known for such things. STEPUP stands for Spirits Training Entrepreneurship Program for Underrepresented Professionals and supports internships and training of under-represented people in artisanal spirits. So take a look at this bottle and know that you are supporting a good cause while enjoying a thoughtful and unusual blend of American malt whiskeys.

Rating: 85

Buy Now: $ 75

What our score means

• 100: It’s worth swapping your firstborn for
• 95 – 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the firm
• 90 – 94 Excellent: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a drink
• 85 – 89 Very good: Delicious enough to buy, but not special enough to hunt in the aftermarket
• 80 – 84 Good: More of your solid and reliable everyday drinker
• Below 80 it will: Honestly, we probably won’t waste your time and ours on this.

Every week Jonah Flicker tastes the most interesting and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back every Friday for her latest review.