Whisk(e)y Of The Week: A Farmer In Black Tie

Mellow Corn cleans up nice, don’t it? (Photo courtesy of Heaven Hill)

My latest Whisk(e)y Of The Week over at Forbes is a writeup of Heaven Hill’s terrific new 20 year old corn whiskey, but it’s also a love letter to Mellow Corn, the 4 year old whiskey whose DNA makes up the 20 year old. There’s a big difference — in flavor, in packaging, and especially in price — but it’s essentially the same whiskey. And I am here for ‘em both.

Mellow Corn is one of my favorite whiskeys — one which I don’t really get the opportunity to write about, because there’s nothing newsworthy about it. Mellow Corn hasn’t changed significantly since it launched in 1945 (I don’t think whiskeys really “launched” back then, but you know what I mean), and it’s been chugging along ever since, mostly under the radar, with more love shown it in recent years by bartenders and in-the-know whiskey geeks. At $20 or so for a bottle, it’s one of the great bargains in booze. And it’s bottled-in-bond, which makes it bold enough for mixing and easy enough for sipping. The 20-year-old expression of which I write in Forbes (link is right over -> HERE <-) is close to 300 bucks a bottle before the inevitable price gouging by our retailer friends, so I can understand if you’re not inclined to check it out, although you should certainly read my review of it. But for heaven’s sake, do yourself a favor and get a bottle of Mellow Corn on your liquor shelf, pronto.

Isn’t she a beauty? (Photo courtesy of Heaven Hill)