Journeyman Silver Cross Whisky

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.

If you haven’t heard of Journeyman Distillery before, you aren’t alone. Journeyman is located a fair bit north of the traditional whiskey making hotspots of Kentucky, Tennessee or Texas. Based out of Michigan, the distillery itself has been distilling since 2011 and still falls within the “craft distillery” scene.

This Silver Cross expression is Journeyman’s experiment of combining equal parts wheat, rye, corn, and barley together. Because of this strange mashbill, this is technically just qualifies as a “whiskey” without falling into any other specific genre. Silver Cross is then aged in what they call “small barrels” without much further explanation - leading to even more mystery.

I was gifted this mini bottle by someone who visited the distillery (and said it was a fantastic experience). I haven’t tried anything from Journeyman before, so this will be a new experience for me. Let’s dive in and explore what whiskey from Michigan is all about!

Note: The wax seal on this mini bottle was a serious problem. The tab didn’t work, and neither did trying to open it with a knife. I eventually found success by running hot water over the wax, softening it up enough so that I could twist it open. Note to distilleries: wax tops are cool as long as they open. When they don’t they become a serious pain.

Age: Non-Age Stated

ABV: 45%

Cask: “Small Casks”

MSRP: $45

Distillery Name: Journeyman Distillery

Review Date: 1/22/23

Nose: Metallic, brittle, rosewater, and sweet grain. But then comes LEATHER. Fresh cut leather. Like the inside of a handbag. Very weird.

 Palate: Leather is present here as well. Oily, rich mouthfeel. Balance between sweet corn and a savory leather. Red apples, milled grain, and a sourdough funk. It’s rounded – but almost too much so. It’s like they blended all the intrigue out of it.

Finish: Medium length with more pepper and nutmeg. More earthy notes, with mushroom, petrichor, and soil.  

Score: 82

Would I buy again? For me, this Silver Cross from Journeyman Distillery doesn’t hit the mark. The odd leather note was overpowering and its funkiness was distracting. I can appreciate the experimental nature of combining equal parts of its ingredients, but unlike a pound cake (which does the same thing) this doesn’t harmonize in a particularly delicious way. Instead, this feels at times too rounded, with no solid foundation which flavors can evolve from. When people say something “tastes craft” this is what it feels like to me. It feels young, funky, and simply not one I would revisit again. This is probably interesting to someone, but sadly, I will try another expression from Journeyman rather than explore the Silver Cross again.