As a follow on to my recent review of Found North and my chat with founder Nick Taylor, I was able to get a bottle of the Found North Peregrine whiskey Nick had just released and that we discussed. The base of this is a twenty year old rye whiskey aged in ex-scotch casks from the Speyside, 22 year old corn in new American oak, 23 year old corn in refill oak, 24 year old corn in ex-bourbon and 27 year old corn in Hungarian oak. They then created the blend and then aged it in French Limousin, American ex-Cognac and new American oak casks for a 5-month further maturation. They picked the best seven barrels and blended those together to make Peregrine. This whiskey is a hefty 126.2 proof. 

The color on this is a nice solid amber; darker than scotch but lighter than most bourbons. On the swirl is one of the thickest films and legs I have ever seen on a whiskey. The nose is very floral and fruity, but with notes of oak, vanilla, and citrus. On the palate, baked glazed peaches with vanilla ice cream, orange zest, ginger and oak, with a touch of baking spices and black pepper. Very nice rich mouthfeel. The finish is magnificent and has gingerbread, orange zest, and a touch of black pepper. As the finish lingers some hints of spearmint emerge against an oaky background. 

This is a really good and really complex whiskey. Compared to batches seven and eight, Peregrine is less sweet and has more oak influence. While this release, like Batches 7 and 8, would also pair well with sweet desserts, this one is more of a foil to a sweet dessert, like a fine brandy, as opposed to a compliment like Liquor 43 or B&B. The secondary maturation of the blended whiskey really adds depth to Peregrine.