Country – Region: USA – California
Distilery: Do Good Distillery
Type: American Whiskey
Age: 21 months
Cask: Heavy Charred American Oak
ABV: 58.65%
Proof: 117.3
Batch-Bottle: 02-295
Nose: Heart warming! Dense cocoa nibs with orange zest plus a dark malty and yeasty mash are strongly felt. As time passes milk chocolate appears and with addition of some water I can recall some notes of oatmeal bread.
Palate: Strong and hefty! A dry start with pepper, coffee, orange notes. Focused on the mid palated and really dry!! Water rounds it a little bit but has an explosive character. Wakes you up!
Finish: Oh man! I can definitely taste some of my favorite porters here! Long, warm and lingering with roasted vanilla and traces of creme de cassis!
Do Good Distillery is (unfortunately the distillery decided to close)one of my happy places in the USA. Great place, great spirits but most of all great people!! They love what they are doing, which is creating spirits that we will like. The distillery is in Modesto, 1.5 - 2 hours away from San Francisco.
The Benevolent Czar is inspired from Russian Imperial Stout type beers which were made for the royal Russian families to state their rich culture and status with the rich and bold character of the beer.
Andrew, brand ambassador of Do Good, once told me that they actually made whisky from beers they brewed!! Which makes The Benevolent Czar a former beer as all the whiskies were before they are distilled.
Brewed from pale malt, crystal malt, chocolate malt, and roasted barley, The Benevolent Czar has a wonderful malty structure. The rest is easy(!), they fill the heavily charred American new oak barrels and wait for 21 months for this batch. For another stunning, world famous whisky made with Chocolote malt, click here!
The Benevolent Czar leaves a great feeling in my mouth. So rich, sweet but punchy. Clean but complex. Bold chocolate taste with cocoa nibs. And come on, it is a cask strength whisky!! My favorite from the family!
I definitely do believe that this whisky will evolve in the future and become a well sought one!
Edit: My best wishes didn't become real as Do Good Distillery founder Jim Harrelson passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of 38 in August 2017. In the following years, owners decided to permanently close the distillery. Such a sorry loss.