Clyde Mays Alabama Whiskey Review
Whiskey from Alabama??? Fine and dandy, darlin'!
When we started this Society more than 3 years ago, we were united by our common, budding interest for the dark spirit but had no idea that it would grow into a intense, consuming passion. It's pretty safe to say that our timing was impeccable as the global market has since exploded with whisky offerings from every corner of the earth and in turn has pushed the whisky community to its limits in order to satisfy the demands and more elaborate pallets of the savvy and connected consumers.
So why should we even be surprised of a new brand and whiskey from Alabama? At this point it is almost expected. What isn't expected is our own reach and influence into the whisky community which continues to grow each day from all of the support and love sent our way.
Clyde Mays reached out to us, showing praise for our humble beginnings and asked if we would want to test drive a bottle of their Alabama whiskey. We'll be honest, we had never heard of the brand before but regardless of what it is, it's hard to turn down a free bottle of the good stuff so before we knew it, we were sipping on some of Clyde's once illegal amber nectar. Before we tell you what we think, let's first tell the story because it's a good one...
Its been over 70 years since Clyde made his first batch of craft whiskey hidden away in Alabama somewhere. He was considered a moonshiner by trade but the difference was he decided to experiment more than others. Using copper stills, Alabama spring water and by aging his in small batches in charred oak barrels until he landed on a taste that was distinctly his and one representative of Alabama. The secret? He also added oven-dried apples to his barrels!
The result is a really smooth, light and tasty whiskey that resembles a bourbon but because of its lower ABV (42.5) and only aged for 5 years, it doesn't have as much bite and ultimately makes it much more approachable. The affects from the apples are faintly present with hints of cinnamon and the nice flavour from the charred oak. It’s a bit of a departure from the recent overproof escapades (like Bookers), but before you jump to any conclusions, trust us when we way it’s worth checking out.
When we say you can taste the green apple, it’s not overwhelming but surprisingly well done. Do not confuse this with a Crown Royal Apple style whisky – this is in a class of it's own. Heavily charred oak barrels and 30 percent rye in the mash bill balances out the apple and spice notes perfectly. We’ve sampled many bourbons that have far more sweet to them than this one. This whisky is simple and fun. It’s a great spring or summer sipper and would also work great in cocktails. Please enjoy responsibly.
Thanks Clyde Mays!
Slainte