Mellow Corn

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RSteve

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I've been on the hunt for Mellow Corn for a few years. Here's the description from the Heaven Hill website.

Mellow Corn is produced in accordance with a unique set of regulations that define Straight Corn Whiskey. It is distilled from a mash of at least 80 percent corn and aged for four years in a once-used Bourbon barrel. The result of the once-used barrel is a lighter, straw-colored spirit. 100 Proof and 4 Years Old.
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I would not be surprised if it's undrinkable, but I'm curious. Heaven hill has refused any wide distribution in Minnesota of Mellow Corn. I found it listed on-line at one local, phoned to see if they had inventory. I was told, yes, but got there and there was none. The clerk in the shop said the person who answered the phone only knew what was posted on the web page, which was months out of date. I've found it at another local that opens at 11:00 am, and it's only about 15 minutes from my house. I hope it's there.
 
I've been pleasantly surprised when trying white corn whiskey (not moonshine). I will say that when I was drinking it, and very much enjoying it, I had this hunch that it would be a horrible hangover. It was just a hunch. It remains a hunch. I've never had enough to find out. I've only had Dickel and one other though. I'd love to try that Mellow.
 
Mellow Corn and Barton are two of my favorite whiskies at that price point but I’ve never tried Ancient Age, will have to give it a shot since I like other Buffalo Trace spirits. MC and Barton hard to find in North Carolina, though, so I often just go with Evan Williams BiB (white label) or Virgin Bourbon, a tasty little dram that’s apparently only available in a few southern states. The odd thing about Very Old Barton is that it’s available at 80, 86 and 100 proof if I recall correctly, awful lot of options—only been able to find the 86 but it did the trick. And will second that article’s recommendation of Old Grandad, though I’d go for the 114, you won’t find a better barrel strength bottle at that price. Cheers!
 
"And will second that article’s recommendation of Old Grandad, though I’d go for the 114, you won’t find a better barrel strength bottle at that price."
Absolutely! Old Grandad is an excellent bourbon.

My tale of Ancient Age:
Several years ago Buffalo Trace had an interactive web page, Craft Your Own Bourbon.
See also.
I went through the entire process and was surprised that the bourbon I created, Ancient Age, was about the cheapest in the Buffalo Trace portfolio of bourbons. Every store I shop for spirits, until today, only carried Ancient Age in the 1.75 plastic bottles. I'd never bought it; no way I'd buy a 1.75, at any price, of a spirit I might find undrinkable. Today, South Lyndale Liquors in Mpls. had the Ancient Age 1 litre shelved adjacent to Mellow Corn, I couldn't resist buying a bottle. I hope I like it.
 
I guess I must not be able to properly discern shit from shinola when it comes to bourbon. As a general rule, I buy fairly mid priced spirits or upper end spirits that I've bought on sale at a modest price. I've now sampled all three of my cheapie purchases, Mellow Corn, Ancient Age, and Very Old Barton. I like them all. Mellow Corn at 100 proof requires a little ice or water to minimize the burn, but it's "interesting." I thought it might taste like corn based vodka, but there's no resemblance at all. Discussing my recent purchase with a friend, he said he thought Ancient Age was the bar bourbon at many local establishments. I'd never given that a thought.
 
I found the white goes down syrupy. It's not actually thick, but there's a viscosity to it on the tongue that I find strange in a good way. There's a roll down the pipe to it. The flavor is grainy/corny and very subtle on the back end. That's to be expected for obvious reasons, but because it is so without nuance, it surprises me. If you're not exhaling through the nose in the swallow, you can easily miss it. I like sweet, but because the flavors are so simple, it's almost too sweet to drink more than a couple fingers. That's why I think the hangover could be brutal.
 
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Yikes! Last night I gave Mellow Corn a real test and I failed. I poured about three ounces over ice and stirred for about thirty seconds. I sipped it for over an hour+. I didn't feel at all intoxicated. When I woke up this morning, I had the worst hangover imaginable.
 
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