Saltwater taffy | Maple sugar candy | Green tea

Roasted malt | Green tea | Truffle | White peppercorn | Malty undertone

Slight heat upfront | Green tea | Dried apricot | Lingering warmth

Chip Tate is the founder and, at one time, the master distiller and owner of Balcones Distilling, which was founded in 2008 and is located in Waco, Texas. A subject of great controversy a decade ago, Tate had a falling out with investors, ultimately leading to his departure from the distillery he created. Tate went on to form Tate & Co. Distillery, and then abandoned it to the management of investors when he left to work full time at Foley Family Wines, which is the producer of Charles Goodnight Bourbon. It’s surprising to see his name attached to a 620 bottle Japanese single malt release from World Whiskey Society. The whiskey is made from 100% Australian malt, was distilled in Japan, and then finished in bourbon and port ruby casks.

Not surprising given the unique whiskeys Tate produced at Balcones Distilling, the whiskey has an unusual flavor profile, as it doesn’t taste like a typical Japanese whiskey, it also doesn’t taste like a typical American single malt either, and quite frankly, doesn’t taste like a typical…anything. There’s a prominent green tea note throughout this whiskey, which will be a love-or-hate element. For anyone who enjoys both green tea and whiskey and feels they’d like to taste something that combines the two in a cohesive manner makes this whiskey an absolute must-buy, and for those who don’t like the sound of that it will be a hard pass. On the nose, the green tea element combines with saltwater taffy and maple sugar candy, though the presence of the aroma is light overall. Roasted malt, white peppercorn, and a highly unusual truffle flavor join at the midpoint, which has a pervasive malty undertone. Some heat leads the finish, with dried apricot marrying the green tea note and ending on a lingering warmth.

Overall, this is a whiskey that will be extremely polarizing, but I found myself enjoying it simply for how unique it is. It is well constructed, but its flavors aren’t bashful in any way, so be prepared for a whiskey whose uniqueness is off the charts.