Jeff Schwartz

"Peanut Butter Whiskey Review"

Whiskey Consultant & Barrel Geek

The earliest food I can remember ever enjoying was peanut butter. I used to drive Mom crazy. She’d make me various sandwiches and I’d sometimes come home with them uneaten. Egg salad, bologna, turkey, whatever… but peanut butter and jelly sandwich was a guaranteed hit and, in my opinion, da bomb.

About two years ago I discovered peanut butter whiskey. It was an accidental discovery. I was at a birthday party for a cousin of Mrs. Whiskeyfellow. They had Skrewball there. I had seen Skrewball but never tasted it because, well, it was flavored whiskey. But I took a sip, and then fell in love. I bought a bottle the very next day.

Yeah, I know, what kind of serious whiskey drinker falls in love with peanut butter whiskey? Here I am, raising my hand high!

Skrewball was expensive as far as flavored whiskeys go. Most of them seem to be under an Andy Jackson in cost, yet here was Skrewball setting me back over $25.00! So, I went to try something less expensive and found Sheep Dog. That one was about $18.00 or so, and I took a bottle of it home. It wasn’t nearly as good as the Skrewball, but I still liked it. Mrs. Whiskeyfellow thought it was awful (and she likes Skrewball).,

Wandering around a liquor store earlier this year, I found a shooter of Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whisky (spelled that way because it is [cough, cough] Canadian). Back in Denver a little over a month ago, I found another shooter by 99 Brand that was peanut butter flavored. Then, when visiting a local distillery called Stable Rock in Jefferson, Wisconsin, I saw its peanut butter whiskey that was formerly an 80° MGP single barrel pick. Not needing another peanut butter whiskey but wanting to support a local distiller, I grabbed a bottle. It was $35.00.

Here I am, with five bottles of peanut butter whiskey, all from different sources, and the idea struck me: Why don’t I have a peanut butter whiskey showdown? To be completely fair, I had to do this one blind. I asked Mrs. Whiskeyfellow to pour them each into a glass, out of my sight, and note which whiskey went in which glass. She then brought the glasses out to me and asked me to taste them, rank them, and then guess which was which before she’d reveal the results. Since I’d never tasted three of the five, this was relatively fair.

I figured there would be no issues picking at least one of them out, because one of them, 99 Brand,was 99°, the rest were all 70° (and, yes, I realize that under 80° it isn’t whiskey). Which came out on top? The only way to know for sure is to #DrinkCurious. Contender One - Neat in a Fort Lauderdale Whisky Society Glencairn glass Appearance: Pale gold, it formed a thin rim with slow, thin legs. Nose: Aromas of peanut butter and vanilla cream hit my nostrils, and when I took the vapor into my mouth, the peanut butter was there but muted. Palate: The mouthfeel was thick and heavy. On the palate was creamy peanut butter. Finish: I found the finish to be sweet and spicy, it left my palate with a slight tingle, and was medium in length. • My Guess: Stable Rock • Actually: 99 Brand • My Rank: 3 of 5 Contender Two – Neat in a Distiller™ Glencairn glass Appearance: It was almost the same pale gold as the first contender. The legs were thin and fast. Nose: Peanut butter was there but was difficult to pick out. I smelled more vanilla than peanut butter. When I took the aroma into my mouth, there was nothing. Palate: A light, thin mouthfeel offered just peanut butter on the palate. Finish: Very long and peppery, it offered nothing in terms of peanut butter. • My Guess: 99 Brand • Actually: Sheep Dog • My Rank: 2 of 5

Contender Three – Neat in a Port Askaig Glencairn glass Appearance: This whiskey appeared golden in the glass. It had a thin rim and fat, quick legs. Nose: Cinnamon and toasted oak were the flavors I found, it was, shockingly, lacking any semblance of peanut butter. I found nothing when I attempted to draw the vapor into my mouth. Palate: Thick and chewy, the palate featured both peanut butter and burnt toast. Finish: I found the finish to be very long with peanut butter and something spicy.

• My Guess: Sheep Dog • Actually: Revel Stoke • My Rank: 5 of 5

Contender Four – Neat in a Binny’s Glencairn glass Appearance: Darker gold by many shades over the three previous contenders, it formed a thicker rim with slow, sticky legs. Nose: The aroma of freshly-ground peanuts was evident. I also experienced vanilla. As I took the air into my mouth, it was all peanut butter. Palate: The mouthfeel was thick and creamy, and the palate was peanut butter and cinnamon. Finish: Medium-to-long in length, the finish was freshly made peanut butter.

• My Guess: Skrewball • Actually: Skrewball • My Rank: 1 of 5

Contender Five – Neat in an Old Forester Glencairn glass Appearance: This was the darkest of the five, and could easily be described as caramel. It formed a medium rim which created fat, slower legs. Nose: I could swear I smelled peanuts in the shell. When I took the aroma into my mouth, I tasted peanuts. Palate: The mouthfeel was thin and watery. While the nose smelled of peanuts in the shell, the palate was the opposite, with the flavor of shelled peanuts. Finish: Medium in length, there were remnants of both spice and grain.

• My Guess: Revel Stoke • Actually: Stable Rock • My Rank: 4 of 5 Final Thoughts: The Skrewball, strangely, was obvious, and it had been several months since I've dipped into it. But I remember how impressed I was the first time I drank it, and how each time I've come back it has been equally tasty. In this blind tasting, it wasn't even close - it was Skrewball against four other whiskeys.

I should have been able to pick out the Sheep Dog because I've had it (and reviewed it) before. I thought I remembered it having more peanut butter to it. No dice, I got that one wrong. I had a rough time picking out the Revel Stoke because, as I stated earlier, it was the only one that was Canadian. I figured it would have the most added coloring and perhaps the weakest of flavors. The 99 Brand I felt would have the warmest mouthfeel and finish because of the higher proof. But I've also never had anything from that brand to use as a weather bell.

With its MGP base, I never expected the Stable Rock to wind up near the bottom. I assumed that the sweet and spicy peppery finish would be the rye whiskey. Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs that you do so responsibly.