Corsair Buck Yeah

When doing whisky reviews seem like same-old same-old, the opportunity to review one of Darek Bell's creations has the power to break any feeling of rutted sameness. Buck Yeah is pot distilled whiskey containing 1/3 Buckwheat, 1/3 pale barley malt, and 1/3 victory barley malt. The reviewed bottle belongs to @Maddie, is 85% full, and has been open for 2 years

Nose: flavours of wild grain, but, nosed blind, I would not be able to identify which one. Continued attention reveals barley-malt, but this is in a combination which most people would find challenging to identify. There is a very pleasant light sweet moderately high-pitched flavour which does seem to come from the buckwheat. Buckwheat is a seed, and a pseudo-cereal (like quinoa), unrelated to wheat. There are also some middle-pitched flavours appearing to derive from the buckwheat as well. This nose is pleasant enough, but I can't get too enthusiastic about it. Water added raised the pitch in the nose and brought out sweetness. Good with water added. Score: 20.5/25

Taste: ok, here I show my former prejudices. This is actually pretty interesting, and certainly different from any other whiskey I have tasted. I can see why Buck Yeah has received a couple of gold medals at spirits competitions. I never liked it before, but right now that seems to me to be primarily because I wasn't in the mood to try anything this different at the time my sister wanted us all to sample it. The contrast in flavours is only moderate, and in this whiskey buckwheat is used as the "flavoring grain" against barley-malt the same way rye and wheat are used as "flavoring grains" in bourbon. Bottom line; this is not at all bad, but I don't think that the peculiar flavours of buckwheat are ever likely to be big draws for me. Quinoa, on the other hand, is a pseudo-cereal with enormous promise for whiskey-making. This Buck Yeah is a little fuller with water added. Score: 20.5/25

Finish: slow fade out, for a medium long finish. Buckwheat remains the predominant flavour. Somewhat fuller flavours are present with water added. Score: 20.5/25

Balance: good balance throughout. Score: 20/25

Total Sequential Score: 81.5 points

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Strength: moderately strong flavours. Score: 21.5/25

Quality: the malt is fiine; I am less enthusiastic about the flavours of buckwheat. Score: 20/25

Variety: only adequate variety. You taste buckwheat, against a backdrop of barley. Score: 20/25

Harmony: very good harmony in the nose; good harmony in the mouth. Score: 21.5/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 83 points

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Comment: previous samplings of this turned me off entirely, but today's studied review shows elements which I had previously undervalued. The bottom line for me, though, is that I just don't much like the taste of buckwheat in whiskey very much

I am bumping up the score to 83 because I consider that with water added Buck Yeah is more attractive than the above scores