While perusing my local liquor store over Labor Day weekend, I found something I simply couldn’t resist. Art of the Spirits is a small distillery out of Colorado Springs with a few interesting selling points. Most obviously, the artwork - each bottle has a label based on an oil painting by Danial James or David Uhl, two Colorado artists made famous by their work for Harley Davidson motorcycles. I’m a big believer that a handcrafted whiskey is a work of art in its own right so I love the pairing here. Less obvious is that this distiller has specifically targeted the barrel pick market. Each of the five whiskies shown here is a cask strength single barrel selected by Goody Goody. The three Bonnie-and-Clyde themed “Final Run” bottles are actually the same spirit, just finished in different ways to bring out different flavors, whereas we also have as “Easy Elegance” and “The Originals” are a bit different. All five bottles were in the $80-$100 range each at my store.

I will put my individual reviews below, but overall I am impressed by Art of the Spirits. This is a very competitive price point, and none of these are likely to become an everyday favorite. Keeping in mind that these are cask strength limited editions I always felt like I was getting my money’s worth though. Which is best? That’s hard to say. “The Originals” was my least favorite and the one of the five I wouldn’t recommend. The flavor profile was certainly unique but not something that really clicked with me. I can also say that I preferred the Ruby Port “Final Run” over the “Tawny Port” as those are similar enough that a head-to-head comparison feels fair. Between the Ruby, the Madiera, and they surprisingly complex Rye “Easy Elegance” I find it impossible to crown a victor however. All three are excellent and which I prefer depends entirely on my mood at the moment.

  • thirdorbital@sh.itjust.worksOPMEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    Distiller: Art of the Spirits

    Product: Final Run

    Bottle: Tawny Port Finish

    Category: Whiskey

    Aged: 6 years American oak finished in tawny port

    Nose: Very mild. Roasted walnuts and fresh pine needles.

    Body: Drier and more oak-forward than the previous expressions. Lots of nutty flavors: walnuts, pecans, pistachios. The sweetness this time comes from sort of an eggy creme brulee with caramelized sugar topping.

    Finish: Finally some traditional port characteristics - cherries, cranberries, and spiced apple cider.

    Activation: Ah now here it gets interesting. A splash of water cools it down, tames some of the resins and brings out a ton of autumnal flavors: cranberries, pumpkin spice, nutmeg. The first of the Final Runs that I would recommend this on.

    Notes: Being a whiskey nerd and not a wine nerd, I was dubious that there would be much of a difference between a ruby port and a tawny port finish. At the end of the day it’s all the same grape right? Apparently the difference comes from the aging process, with tawny ports aging in smaller casks that extract more oak flavor and turn the wine brown (hence the name). When applied to a spirit the difference is dramatic. This is a much more savory whiskey, with all kinds of nuts and spices that can’t help but conjure images of Thanksgiving dinner, mulled wine, and spiced desserts on a cool night. If I had to choose I would probably give the edge to the ruby, but as with anything it’s a matter of preference and circumstance.