Puncher’s Chance The Unified Belt Whiskey Review

There’s precious little territory that remains relatively unexplored in the American whiskey market at this point, even when it comes to more fanciful blending concepts. Bourbon blended with Irish whiskey? Not exactly common, but it’s still only been a handful of months since the last time I reviewed a product with the same gimmick. Point is, it’s harder than ever to stand out through the use of a concept. At this point, there really needs to be quality in the bottle, and thankfully Puncher’s Chance has a decent record there to date going into this tasting of their new The Unified Belt bourbon/Irish whiskey blend.

Puncher’s Chance is a product of Eugene, Oregon’s Wolf Spirit Distillery, sourcing its spirits from a variety of sources that has often included nameless Kentucky bourbon producers and Tennessee whiskey that is almost certainly Dickel. A venture into Irish whiskey is new territory for the brand, however–and this particular blend brings together not two but three spirits.

With barrels sourced by IJW Whiskey Company of Louisville, The Unified Belt brings together younger Kentucky bourbon and Irish whiskey with an older, cask-finished bourbon that I’m assuming is probably from Tennessee. Its three elements are as follows:

— 4 year old Kentucky straight bourbon, 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malt mash bill.
— 4 year old Irish malt whiskey, aged in ex-bourbon oak.
— 14 year old bourbon “finished in first-fill Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks for up to 15 months.” This mash bill is listed as 84% corn, 8% rye and 10% malt, which amusingly adds up to … 102%? Well that’s certainly a first. I suspect it’s actually meant to be 84-8-8, which would be a spot-on match for Dickel.

One of these things, suffice to say, is not at all like the others. It likely stands to reason that the 14-year-old spirit was probably used sparingly, lest it completely determine the flavor profile here, particularly after spending time in the likes of PX sherry casks. At the same time, the high $150 MSRP does suggest there’s presumably a good amount of the older juice in here. Regardless, the final product is blended together at an approachable 48% ABV (96 proof).

So with that said, let’s get to tasting this new U.S.-meets-Ireland blend.

On the nose, The Unified Belt immediately leads out on the sweet side, with pronounced caramel and vanilla frosting, and an unmistakable impression of honeycomb. You can certainly feel the stylistic tug of war at play here, with grassy, grainy and doughy impressions announcing the Irish whiskey in a pretty prominant way, while nougat and nuttiness points more at the oloroso casks, and candied citrus at the PX sherry. One thing that is consistent throughout is that this reads on the sweeter and more decadent side.

On the palate, that sweetness becomes a defining aspect of this dram. Heavy honey, vanilla and caramel segue into sweet spices and candied citrus, with cinnamon red hots, anise, honey lozenges and toasted oak spice. I’m getting lots of glazed nuts as well, suggestive of the oloroso casks, and the honeycomb in particular is a note that continuously pops back up into play. The oak component is significant as well, favoring toasty baking spice, though it doesn’t really provide much balance to the intensity of the sweetness. All in all, it feels like the profile amplifies the Irish whiskey character most strongly, something that some drinkers will appreciate and others (the bourbon obsessives) will no doubt criticize.

This is a very intriguing combination of significantly different elements, one that at times feels like it’s coming together into something greater than the sum of its parts. At the same time, the overall residual sweetness may be a bit much for some drinkers to handle, and I feel like the end product could reflect a bit more elegance, particularly at an advanced proof point. Still, these honeyed tones will probably find vociferous backers with the right audience.

Distillery: Puncher’s Chance (Wolf Spirit Distillery)
City: Eugene, OR
Style: Blend of bourbon and Irish whiskey
ABV: 48% (96 proof)
Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $150 MSRP

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.