Little Brown Jug

Thursday was pretty good night.  Debi and I were at the new Rockbridge Hy-Vee in Columbia for a Sushi making class.  For only $15, you get a pretty good class on how to roll Sushi, sample lots of different kinds and make one or two rolls yourself (and get to eat them).  My second turned into a Sushi burrito (don’t ask).  Overall, very time though…my hat is off to the Chef and Instructors. 

What I also like about going to this particular Hy-Vee is their Liquor Department.  For a grocery chain, it is one of the best, and almost on par with some of the specialty stores in Columbia (but still second to Arena Liquors).  If you are looking for some unique beers….that is the place to go.  We picked up several, but the focus of tonight's review is a whiskey, Platte Valley to be exact.

What caught my eye of this whiskey at first (aside from being next to Fireball) was the presentation, the good old fashioned “Little Brown Jug”.  At $18, I had to have one.

Platte Valley Corn Whiskey is “Selected” and bottled by McCormick Distilling Co out of Weston MO, so if you are looking to support a Missouri based company, this is another plus.

With such an excellent presentation, how was the whiskey?   

Color- Very Light.  When I say light, I mean this would be a funny one to pour into a test tube if worked in a lab and drink to freak out your friends.  I attribute this color to little (if any) aging of the whiskey in barrels.

Nose-  Sweet, reminding me of hot toddy’s my Mom used to make…with lots of Honey.

Taste- Warm Vanilla, with a little caramel at the end.

Finish- Dry with the lingering caramel.  About a minute later, there was a (very) faint hint of of field grass.

Overall, I would call this a solid 3 out of 5….with the presentation taking it up to a 4 stars.  I could see this being a fine gift at Christmas for a whiskey lover and I would definitely buy again in the future, especially if I was going to/having a themed party.  While it has a light taste (excellent for beginning whiskey drinkers), I would bet it would be good for cooking, mid-meal pairing or mixing.  I don’t think it has bold enough flavors for cigar pairing or after dinner aperitif….but still a solid purchase.

As added note, on the bottom the jug, it tells when it was bottled and the batch.  In fact, on Ebay, some of these bottles are going for $12…..so you can recoup part of your money (if you are so inclined).

Check it out, and at the very least….stop by Hy-Vee and check out their liquor/beer/wine selection….you won’t be disappointed.