Country: Mexico
Producer: Sierra Norte Distillery (Scorpion Mezcal S.A. de C.V.)
Category: Corn Whiskey
Age: NAS (Non Age Statement)
Barrel Type: French oak barrels
Alcohol Content: 45% (90 proof)
Size: 750ml
Level: Casual
Its been a while since I reviewed a whisky from this unique mexican distillery. In fact this is the first one written in English, so I might rewrite the old entries someday soon. Meanwhile if you want to see read them (spanish) you can click the links Sierra Norte Maíz Blanco y Sierra Norte Maíz Amarillo.
Sierra Norte, a project founded by Douglas French — the creator of Mezcal Escorpión in Oaxaca — has successfully introduced a strong Mexican whisky offering to the world. The distillery is known for using various types of native Oaxacan corn, resulting in a rich array of complex and diverse flavors. The catalog consists of six expressions, and the bottle we’re focusing on today is the Maíz Negro, identified as batch 160 from batch 12 and barrel 6/19. This expression is composed of 85% black corn and 15% malted barley, and is bottled at a fine 90 proof (45% alcohol). The aging process generally takes between 2 and 3 years in French oak barrels.
Tasting Notes
Nose: : The first impression is clearly the corn’s sweetness. There’s humidity, ripe cherry, prunes and a hint of dark chocolate
Palate: Medium body with a strong presence of alcohol that interestingly highlights its texture. Herbal notes of raw corn and ripe banana. Finally white pepper and a slight astringency that may feel abrupt though not unpleasant.
Aftertaste: The finish presents a contrast, starting with a brief sweetness before giving way to an herbal, slighty bitter flavor that lingers in the mouth.
Of all Sierra Norte’s expressions I have tasted and reviewed until now, Black Corn stands out the most impressive so far. It’s worth mentioning that this distillery, with its limited production could be classified as a Small Batch Distillery, and the whisky produced as Single Barrels. Therefore, each batch may vary from one another, meaning the sensory experience may differ. For this reason, may suggestion isto approach this whisky with open mind and allow each bottle to offer you its own unique journey. There will be moments when the experience feels more complex and intense, while at other times it will be simpler, much like those familiar paths that you know well but always seem to have something new to reveal.
I can’t help but be reminded of Black Whiskey, a Peruvian whiskey, when tasting this one. Perhaps it’s because both use corn with a high anthocyanin content, the natural pigment responsible for the dark color found in cherries and berries. This shared characteristic adds an interesting layer of complexity to the choice and use of the raw material, which is definitely worth considering.
My Rating:
I clasify whisky into 4 categories: Introdutory, Casual, Intermediate and Complex. and from there I rate each one acording to their aroma, palate, complexity and palatability
Level: Casual
Aroma: 4/5
Palate: 4/5
Complexity: 4/5
Palatability: 3/5
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Official website: https://sierranortewhiskey.com/
If you live in Mexico, please consider supporting our project by using the following Amazon link to buy your whisky:
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