Ironroot Harbinger XC Shelf Review
Shelf Review
Designed to give you all the quick hit information you need when you’re standing in front of your local liquor store’s whisky shelf.
Craft Distilleries are all the rage. In recent years, there have been small distilleries popping up all over the country trying to take advantage of the meteoric rise in whiskey popularity. The problem? Most aren’t very good. And good whiskey takes a long time. Many craft distilleries are forced to sell vodka or new make spirits to pay the bills as their whiskey ages. The whiskies that do make it to shelves are normally young, grain forward spirits, with a lot of heat but not much complexity.
Ironroot Republic is different. Lauded by USA Today as “Best Craft Distiller in 2019”, and with its flagship product Ironroot Harbinger winning “World’s Best Bourbon” in 2020 from the World Whiskies Awards, Ironroot has set the bourbon world on fire with its big, bold Texas-style whiskey.
Making award-winning whiskey is hard. But an even bigger test will be to see if Ironroot can create a strong core range of products that can get customers coming back on a regular basis. For now, let’s see how Ironroot Harbinger XC - the tamer, more accessible version of the “World’s Best Bourbon” - fares.
Age: 32 Months
ABV: 45%
Cask: Virgin Charred Oak Casks
MSRP: $35
Distillery Name: Ironroot Republic
Review Date (Bottle Date)
Color: Dark Caramel
Nose: Big red, juicy fruits start off the nose. Vanilla and cherry cola come next. Then sweet pears, apples, and lots of grape. Bubblegum and sandalwood round out a very funky nose.
Palate: More dark fruits with deep, rich flavors. Molasses, dark cherries mixes with strong wood and tannic notes. More grape appears. Caramel covered fruit tart - if such a thing existed. Then comes the kettle corn and more molasses. This is big, oily, and syrupy. A mouthful of confectionaries.
Finish: Short to medium finish. There isn’t a huge amount going on during the finish, with light notes of wood and cinnamon that are overshadowed by the great rollercoaster of flavors from the palate. I expect the cask strength 115 proof version to have a longer, more enjoyable finish. This is by far the most disappointing part of an otherwise fantastic experience.
