JP Wiser’s Hopped Whisky (Dark Ale Style) with Dan

Untitled1JP Wiser’s Hopped Whisky. A tiny sampler attached to the Double Still Rye.

I just got called out for hating on Wiser’s in the last review, and this one’s not going to help that perception one bit. We generally don’t like Wiser’s and you can say that makes the review a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But we keep buying the stuff. Why? As I’ve said before, this comes down almost 100% to economics and geography. We have a publication schedule we want to meet, and we have finite funds with which to do so. Wiser’s is available and they try different things, which means they contribute plenty of articles. And all we’re doing is cataloging our impression of what we’re drinking. Each bottle is a chance to change our opinion – it has happened before. We’re happy to keep giving them chances.

Wiser’s Hopped is a blend of Canadian whiskies aged in three kinds of barrels, then dry hopped. Counter-intuitively, this means soaking the hops in the drink to pull out aromatic oils. Does it work? Here’s what we thought:

nose
Dan – copper? so gross, crack sweetness, stinky foot aftersmell
Simon – blood? a chemical that smells sort of like hops

neat
Dan – ah caramel, moldy paper with cardboard
Simon – no hop, thin burn, no character

finish
Dan – chemical caramel, musty, like i chewed a tylenol
Simon – long high burn

splash
Dan – <actual spit take> mold
Simon – caramel nasty

free association
Dan – it’s like decomposing in a library while drinking mushroom rot
Simon – hate crime

overall
Dan – -5/10
Simon – 1/10

JP Wiser’s Hopped Whisky – 40% 50ml – $ – Ontario

Try it? No. Buy it? Are you crazy?

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