Endless Whiskey: HOP-Flavored Whiskey

I’m talking to you, hopheads. Sons of Liberty previously brought us two of their staple whiskeys and they did not disappoint. If you remember, a hop=flavored whiskey was teased when I mentioned their selection. The hopped-up one arrived in the mail shortly afterwards, and I finally had a chance to tip one back.

Sons of Liberty owner Mike Reppucci explains that the craft distillery makes their whiskeys based on the recipes of their favorite beers. So, it should not surprise us that they offer a whiskey infused with hop flavor. After they age the spirit in oak barrels, they dry hop this son of a bitch. YES—dry-hopped whiskey. For those of you unhipsters, that means that they pour a bunch of hops right into the whiskey. The happy hops then marinate in the spirit to share their flavor with the rest of the world.

First, the aroma reminds me of a fresh summer day. The hops stand out here, with notes of both citrus and fresh grass. The sip tastes different, that’s for sure. You need to keep an open mind, because you naturally expect it to taste kind of sweet or spicy like most whiskeys. Instead, it lives up to its name and hits you with the hoppy bitterness of an IPA, followed by a sweetness of whiskey that is complemented by light pale malts and a little citrus.

As I sat at my desk looking outside at the mounds of snow, it was a fresh reminder that there are lighter and warmer days coming. The whiskey is refreshing and crisp. If you enjoy IPAs, this matches the profile quite well. I expect my IPAs to smell like a hop garden and give me a bit of a kick in the ass with bitterness (of course followed by some sweeter malt flavors). I can’t say the description of this whiskey is much different.

If you still aren’t getting the picture—when my fiance kissed me goodnight today, she said “you smell like whiskey…and beer.” All I had was whiskey. Wrap your head around THAT.