Apologies if you feel by the calendar of our reviews that today is Wednesday, but we’ve made this and next week a bit special with whiskey for father’s day. This is primarily because we were given two spirits to review and possibly recommend for father’s day, and we start with this – Cascade a whiskey that has instructions for fishing on it.
They also have something that we want to hate, but by virtue, we cannot and it’s the phrase ‘Probably the best whiskey in America’ that tips the tide in their favor into enjoyment. What sells us though is “don’t drink and build a bobber” which is without a doubt (barring 151’s fire safety warning) our favorite thing to see on a bottle.
What they Say: “Front: Finished with water from Cascade Spring. Probably the best whiskey in America.
Back: Our Cascade Blonde Whiskey is easier to drink than floating downstream. We finish our blonde American whiskey with limestone filtered Cascade Spring water for a crisp, smooth taste. With that in mind, we are dedicated to protecting our waterways so the good times always flow. Come visit us at www.cascadeblonde.com to learn more.”
They also have an inspired bit of instructions on how to turn your cork into a fishing bobber. As well as a cocktail for something called a Cascade Crush (whiskey + lemonade)
Taste: 6.5 – At first there’s some sugar, some wood, and it’s overall nice and light, no main faults, but nothing mind-blowing.
Aftertaste: 4.0 – Then it takes on an almost sherry cask scotch-like quality here. It’s not a horrible aftertaste, but it’s just wrong, and it turns this from a neat affair to looking towards mixing.
Burn/Smooth: 5.0 – There is some burn and then calming warmth there. On both fronts, it is rather short which again simultaneously hurts and helps it. In the end, it’s a wash.
Aroma: 7.5 – It smells nice, it’s light, but still woody with a bit of smoke. It has that distinctive ‘new American cask whiskey’ smell. There’s even a twinge of spice too it. Overall – it’s good.
Honesty: 8.5 – Considering floating downstream could involve rapids or calm placid water, we’ll ignore their easy to drink comment. We do have to address the elephant in the room. While many whiskeys claim perfection or even godliness is a glass, it isn’t common for them to declare themselves the best of a country (although it certainly has occurred), but the probably here throws us. Add a lemonade cocktail, and instructions for a fishing bobber (they even say don’t drink and build a bobber which given the hook is sound advice and fucken hilarious). By any measure, we should hate this, but it’s actually rather endearing, and clearly comes from a person not a multinational conglomerate, so many points are awarded here.
Mixability: 7.33
W/ Rocks: 7.5 – Oh there’s the spice and smoke. Add some aqua or ice and it decides to come out and play. It truly does change the whiskey into nearly something else entirely. It is not only an improvement but a delight.
Whiskey and Coke: 9.0 – It adds a sweetness and a spice. There is a sweet spot of the ratio here as we found, but once you hit it? Fuck off it’s good. Despite what we say elsewhere this has one job, and it does it well.
Whiskey Sour: 5.5 – It’s an okay, slightly above par whiskey sour, mostly lost in character. Even ratio adjusting it’s just an afterthought.
Editor’s Note: Cascade Crush – we won’t review but overall:
Value: 6.5 – This is certainly a whiskey we respect, and that rocks and coke scores are nothing to scoff at. Add that to the notion that as far as some whiskeys are priced – this is decent. Would we buy it again? You know – probably. That rum and coke have so much of the right amount of sweet, spice, and cola that it’s likely. That alone makes this mighty
Google Shop Average: $19
Website: https://www.cascadeblonde.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 7.0
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Metric Score: 45.33/70 |+| Metric Average: 6.48 |+| Reviewer Average: 7.0
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Final Thoughts: It’s been far too long since a user score made us give out something above a 7, and while we don’t subscribe to the possibility this is America’s best whiskey (even probably) it’s a damn good showing. Combine that with what might be the best whiskey and coke score on this site – and Cascade has some merit as a gift to your father (bobber aside). This mildly annoys us as we try to be extra harsh to that which is gifted to us lest they get complacent, but despite some faults – job well done.
