Taste Test: This Blend of Bourbon and an Obscure French Brandy Is a Pleasant Surprise
It’s hard not to compare Raj Bhakta’s latest spirits company, Bhakta Spirits, with the company he founded in 2007 (and was forced out of in 2016), WhistlePig, although there are some major differences. WhistlePig practically invented the premium rye whiskey category by sourcing barrels from Indiana and Canada and finishing them on its distillery/farm in Vermont, while Bhakta Spirits (also in Vermont) is focused on vintage Armagnac, along with some bourbon and rye whiskeys finished in Armagnac casks. That last area is where there is some overlap, but that certainly is not the case with the latest Bhakta Spirits release: Hogsworth, an unusual blend of bourbon and Armagnac.
Armagnac is really an under-represented spirits category compared to Cognac here in the U.S., although there is a certain subsection of whiskey drinkers that have discovered just how good it can be. Bhakta has gone all in on this French style of brandy, and while it remains to be seen if Americans will fully embrace it, a release like this is one way of making it more familiar. The exact makeup of Hogsworth, a name that furthers the WhistlePig comparison, is 52 percent bourbon and 48 percent Armagnac. The bourbon does not come from MGP in Indiana as you might expect; instead it’s 10 percent four-year-old Minnesota bourbon and 42 percent four-and-a-half-year-old Tennessee bourbon (the distilleries are not disclosed). The Armagnac in the blend is a 13-year-old 2010 vintage (21 percent), 11-year-old 2012 vintage (22 percent), and a small portion of 42-year-old 1982 vintage (5 percent). The spirit (it’s not really a whiskey anymore) is bottled at 93.8 proof, and according to the brand this is batch one and blend number nine.
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Those are the straight facts, but the most important thing, as always, is how a spirit tastes. And this whiskey-Armagnac blend is pretty good. It’s actually not the first time that Bhakta has played with blending like this—Bhakta 1928, which came out last winter, was a combination of rye whiskey, Armagnac, and Calvados—but Hogsworth is quite different because of the switch to bourbon and the amount of Armagnac in the mix. The result is a spirit that sits on the sweeter end of the flavor spectrum, but is not totally devoid of spice. There are notes of sweet cherry, grape, orange, citrus, raisin, and fig on the palate, followed by hints of vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, tobacco, black pepper, and cinnamon. Overall, this is a complex sipper that could also be used to make some interesting cocktails.
There are likely some whiskey fans who are going to look askance at this release based on various factors, from its very makeup to their dislike of Bhakta, who happens to be a very polarizing figure in the industry. Case in point: Check out the video he made to promote Hogsworth on the brand’s website, and decide for yourself what you think of the woman hogtied and bent over a barrel, not to mention Bhakta’s general Trumpy vibe throughout. Before you fire off the “snowflake” comments, I’ll beat you to the punch—I realize it’s satirical, but I’m not convinced that it’s necessary… and, perhaps more importantly, it’s more dumb than funny. But as much as Raj and his team have tried to repel me with stupid promo videos, I still like Hogsworth. This isn’t going to be the trophy in your liquor cabinet, but at $50 per bottle, what’s the harm in giving it a try?
Score: 84
100 Worth trading your first born for
95 – 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet
90 – 94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram
85 – 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market
80 – 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable
Below 80 It’s alright: Honestly, we probably won’t waste your time and ours with this
Every week Jonah Flicker tastes the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Friday for his latest review.
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