About the Producer
Journeyman is a larger craft distillery out of Three Oaks, MI that is primarily known for their whiskey and especially their rye and wheat whiskeys. They are one of the earlier craft distilleries in MI, I had one of their whiskeys early on and hated it but went to the distillery and tried it recently and it was pretty good. In addition to their whiskeys they have many other products including a brandy. This brandy was actually made from grapes from St Julian winery who make their own brandy so this will be a good comparison
Details
- 45% abv
- Aged ex-bourbon barrels from Journeyman
- Double distilled using a hybrid pot/column still.
- Fermented and distilled from Vidal Blanc grapes from St. Julian
Nose
Lots of ex-bourbon barrel smells. Coconut, vanilla, toasted oak. Some star anise. Not very fruity. Light intensity. Pretty good but not great. Similar to Finger Lakes brandy but I like that better.
Palate
Again lots of coconut and vanilla with some star anise. Light oak with not much fruit. Very similar to the nose. Light bodied and medium flavor intensity. Medium sweet. Some spice with nutmeg or clove. Not bad but nothing special.
Finish
Medium with dry vanilla and oak.
Rating: 5
Overall
A solid if uneventful brandy. Comparing this vs St Julians own brandy, I definitely prefer the later despite a lower proof. That being said it tastes good and the start anise is interesting but doesn’t have anything to raise it to the next level.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect
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