Showing posts with label Spirit Drinks Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirit Drinks Review. Show all posts

Boxing Hares Review


“Raising Hairs”

Country: Scotland/USA/Germany
Brand: Boxing Hares
Type: Spirit Drink (Flavoured Whisky)
Bottled By: Whiskey Union - Released March 2016.
Age: NAS
ABV: 35%
Chill-Filtration: Yes
Contains: Stabiliser E-414 and Malt Aroma.
Whisky Review # 575
Buying Advice: 😢  Negative. There are cheaper and better alternatives if you are looking for a mixing Alcohol.

Colour: Golden Sunset (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: The Bitter-Sweet Hop Aromas are fighting the Industrial Grain Alcohol and it's an uneasy battle. Boxing Hares does not really smell like Whisky although I do find Malted Cereals in the mix. But the Aromas remind me more of a mix of Beer and Obstler. Besides the mentioned Aromas I also get Pine Needles, light Caramelised Pineapple, Artificially Cherry-Flavoured Cough Drops, slightly Sour Apple Juice or Cider, Nougat, Ginger and some Floral - and Mineral tones. It's all quite Light and Young and not totally unpleasant. But it's got little to do with Whisky as we know and love it.

Palate: Thin, very Harsh and Sugary Sweet in an almost undrinkable way. This is not at all a pleasant experience. I have to force myself to take another sip. I find Grain Alcohol, Artificially Cherry-Flavoured Cough Drops, Sugar lumps that have been soaked in Alcohol, Hop, Bitter Apple Juice or Cider, Gin flavoured with Artificial White Grape Aroma, light Pineapple and Nougat. 

Finish: Short but still too long! The main drivers are the Sugar, the Alcohol and the light Bitterness of the Hop.   

Added Water does not ease the Pain!

Rating: 55

Nose: 17 - Taste: 12 - Finish: 12  - Overall: 14


General Remarks: Boxing Hares is a mix of Blended Scottish Grain Whiskies and two Hop varieties namely Cascade, used in the production of American craft beers and Hallertau, used in the making of German Pilsner. It was created by Pete Brewin, a master distiller at Whiskey Union, a creative collective, looking for unconventional Blends and flavour sensations. It's part of the Diageo Group and its products are distributed a/o by Flaviar who describe themselves as " a band of Spirit enthusiasts inspired by culture, rich history and also the art of distillation who forage the world of Spirits for the finest, rarest and most unique expressions out there and pack it all into a 21st century Members Club". Boxing Hares is priced in the 20-25 US Dollar range (November 2016). Whiskey Union also released Smoky Goat, a blended Scotch Whisky and Huxley, a blend of Scotch, Canadian and American Whisk(e)y. I will review these two in the coming months as well.

Drinking Experience Neat: On the Nose, the Boxing Hares is okay but the rest is rather unpleasant.

Conclusion: In principal I am a huge fan of innovation. As such, I fully applaud the initiatives of Whiskey Union and Diageo. Only with research and initiative we can create wonders. But in this process we will inevitably create monsters as well and I'm afraid that Boxing Hares is one of them. On the Nose it's still okay although it reminds me more of Beer and Obstler than of Whisky as such. But Palate and Finish are so obnoxiously - and artificially Sweet that this Spirit drink becomes almost undrinkable. Adding Water and/or Ice does not solve this problem. I can only imagine drowning it in Ginger Ale or Tonic but why would I need Boxing Hares for that. Any cheap Gin or Vodka would do the job as well. I am sure that Diageo is aiming at the young mixing public with Boxing Hares and I will admit that the presentation and bottle are actually quite nice. But I do not think this product has a bright future although you never know of course. When I think about the Tasting experience I imagine "Raising Hairs" instead of Boxing Hares. But that wouldn't do commercially would it!

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 21, 2016