By Richard Thomas
Ranking: B+
Fable & Folly 14 Yr Outdated American Whiskey
(Credit score: Diageo)
Studying the specs behind the brand new Orphan Barrel launch, Fable & Folly, makes it sound just like the swan track of this Diageo-made sequence. Sequence Grasp Blender Andrew Mackay drew on “remaining shares of Barterhouse, Cast Oak and varied Rhetoric releases with aged rye and corn whiskies.” Realizing a bit about these previous Orphan Barrels is a crucial level right here, as a result of Cast Oak was the youngest of the named predecessors at 15 years. Barterhouse was 20 years outdated and Rhetoric began at 20 years. Age statements comply with probably the most youthful whiskey within the mix, so it’s these aged rye and corn whiskeys that give us the 14 years.
This was bottled at 90 proof. Along with their silence with regard as to the proportions of the mix, Diageo additionally mentioned nothing about how huge of a manufacturing run there was for this restricted version. Nevertheless, I’ve seen studies of bottles numbered above 50,000, so it was fairly a giant run by restricted version requirements.
The Whiskey
Fable & Folly takes on a lightweight, polished copper look within the glass. I’ve described the ultra-aged constituents of this American Whiskey, but when I hadn’t mentioned something, the nostril would have spoken straight to that time. It leads with it’s leathery, hoary woodiness. Behind this are notes of caramel, mint and cookie spices. The flavour brings issues into higher steadiness, with that cookie-sweet and spicy aspect coming into steadiness with the outdated horse barn tack high quality that lead within the scent. The 2 sides of Fable & Folly’s character proceed their hand-off on the end, which surprisingly turns gentle and candy because it fades away; I used to be shocked as a result of if a whiskey has a woody facet, that’s what asserts itself on the shut, however not right here.
Stirring within the middle-aged rye and corn whiskeys was factor right here, as a result of Fable & Folly isn’t any over-oaked beastie. As an alternative, it’s a simple sipping whiskey that places an fascinating twist on the expertise. The one drawback with it’s the price ticket, which even by prevailing requirements is a steep.
The Worth
Formally, this bottle goes for $150. Given the dimensions of the manufacturing run and the high-quality, however not excellent high quality of the discharge, it’s arduous to justify paying a mark-up for the bottle. So, if the retailer needs rather more than $150, don’t pay it.
