Found North Batch 012

Batch 012

At the heart of Batch 012 is a 16-year corn component matured for 11 months in lower-warehouse conditions in ISC Cooper's Reserve, 24-Month Air-Seasoned, Heavy Toast, Char #2 New American Oak. It presented a savory, lightly phenolic and high-vanillin profile notably distinct from previous Batches.

All of the 11 components, ranging from 16 to 22 years old, were critical to the blend, but these three anchor the new wood profile. Layered together, they form a burnt brown sugar and roasted marshmallow quality that sets the course for the entire blend.

- 2009 Corn in ISC Cooper's Reserve, 24-Month Air-Seasoned, Heavy Toast, Char #2 New American Oak
- 2003 Corn in Kelvin Heavy Toast, Char #1 New American Oak
- 2004 Rye in Chevalier Heavy Toast, Char #3 New American Oak

Exploration Through Maturation

When we made the original Batches, it was about the discovery process through blending. The whole flavor landscape for Found North was a blank canvas. The exploratory and imaginative aspects of the process were rooted in the blending room. That said, the invisible hand guiding our course was always the limitation of the whiskies we had available to us, 16 very small lots of whisky, only one of which had seen any New Oak aging. Trekking through this flavor wilderness, we discovered the incredible benefits of taking corn whisky aged for decades in Used White Oak and transferring it into high quality New American Oak. 

The concept is relatively simple–maximize the oxidative benefits of time in a barrel before introducing the wood sugars, tannin and vanillin extractives from New American Oak. Arriving at this concept, we planted the Found North flag and set up camp, laying the foundation stones for the whisky we would make for years to come. 

The exploratory and imaginative process is no longer reserved solely for the blending room. The hand is no longer invisible. It is our hand. We don’t look for ready-to-blend component whiskies any more. We search for uncut gems that we can carve into jewels for our blending team. Of the 150+ lots of whisky we currently own, we have reracked 90% of them into dozens of different barrel types from a myriad of wood sources.

The key to our Batches is now as much about the pickiness in our maturation program as it is about precision in the blending room. Found North is a flavor nomad turned farmer. We reap what we sow.

Why We Made this Whisky

Because the 2009 corn component aged in 24-Month Air-Seasoned, Heavy Toast, Char #2 ISC casks was a treasure. The smoldering toasted notes allowed our blending team to take Batch 012 and give it the distinctiveness that we always search for with our Batches.

Blend Composition

“Component blends” have become a key part of our process. We have found that components often benefit from blending before we rerack them. 5 of the 11 components in Batch 012 were part of a component blend that we aged in Heavily Toasted French Oak:

- 16yr corn in New American Oak, ISC 24-month Air-Seasoned, Heavy Toast, Char #2
- 20yr corn in Used American Oak
- 20yr corn in New American Oak, ISC 24-month Air-Seasoned, Heavy Toast, Char #2
- 22yr corn in New American Oak, Kelvin Heavy Toast, Char #1
- 20yr rye in Used American Oak

The other 6 components were:

- 16yr corn in New American Oak, ISC 24-month Air-Seasoned, Heavy Toast, Char #2
- 20yr corn in New American Oak, ISC 18-month Air-Seasoned, Heavy Toast, Char #2
- 22yr corn in New American Oak, Medium Toast, Char #2
- 22yr corn in New American Oak, Kelvin Heavy Toast, Char #1
- 20yr rye in New American Oak, Chevalier Heavy Toast, Char #3
- 22yr rye in Used American Oak

Profile

Batch 012 hits like Dragon Egg fireworks. The landing is a sizzling marshmallow, followed by an explosion of sugar and spice that crackles on the finish. 

What makes Batch 012 such an intriguing whisky is the way in which it expresses sweetness. Sweetness is a catchall word that lacks the appropriate specificity for whisky. It can describe everything from a diner sugar packet to the darkest, dense molasses or brightest floral honey notes. In whisky, the texture and the counterbalancing flavors dictate to “how” the sweetness presents itself. Batch 012’s diversity of wood types allows the sweetness to manifest as cascading layers of molasses, brown sugar, fruit, honey and dark chocolate. 

Each quadrant of the whisky presents different undertones that give each moment’s prevailing sweetness character and balance. Batch 012’s major key is the toasted sweetness, especially in the landing. The opening salvo of marshmallow and creamy vanilla are coupled with a rich toasted oak quality, lending a singed texture that enhances the initial mouthfeel. It tastes like the whisky was flambéed on its way into the glass.

The savory quality increases with a soft minerality, reminiscent of the slightly salty note you should find in well-made chocolate chip cookies. These savory notes give the sweetness a long leash to express itself through the early parts of the mid-palate, bringing out a roasted nuttiness, thick honey, ripe maple covered cherries and dense burnt caramel.

The wood spices and tannic profile lend a gentle touch of toffee bitterness. Combined with the especially high concentration of vanillin, the whisky transitions through its dark chocolate mocha phase on the back half of the mid-palate. As the whisky crescendos into the finish, a new oak molten lava cake–like simmering pine needles and bubbling rock candy commandeers the entire palate. As the final phenols develop on the floor of the palate, the roof of the mouth resonates with brown sugar, wafer and cinnamon. The proof holds the strength of the whisky as the smoldering sensation drifts downward into your chest.

Technical Notes

Nose

Sweetness: maple, marshmallow, honey, brown sugar, molasses
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Phenols: flambé, roasted nuts, burnt dry pine needles, sandalwood, pipe tobacco, toasted marshmallow
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Vanillin: Tahitian vanilla bean, tonka, caramel, cookie wafer, chocolate
Fruit: torched cherry, orange peel

Baking Spice: Cinnamon, graham cracker, sweet gingerbread

Quadrants

The first quadrant presents a pronounced sweet, toasted vanilla quality. Nutty with heavy baking spice, dense wood sugars and mild earthy notes.

The second quadrant is savory, mildly salty, mouthwatering on the side palates. Dense sweetness with chocolate notes. 

In the third quadrant, the savory minerality ebbs. It presents a light bitterness from the wood phenols and tannins that counterbalance the darker sweetness, brown sugar, molasses and undertones of coffee or espresso notes.

The final quadrant has a marked crackling sensation that coincides with a stronger phenolic note. There is burnt sugar and heavy vanillin on the top of the palate. The finish is long with caramel and cinnamon notes.

Enjoying Batch 012

With every high proof whisky, we recommend pouring and letting it breathe for at least 10 minutes, preferably half an hour, especially the first time you open it.

Manager’s Proof

For Batch 012 Manager’s Proof add 0.15mL to a 50mL pour. Candidly, this is a very small amount of liquid. It will change the proof from 128.2 to 127.8. The change is subtle, but we felt the undercurrents of fruit pop while the palate shifts from hearty and spicy to rich and velvety. The landing and the finish see a slight reduction in spice, but the mouthcoating creaminess takes over the entire palate from start to finish.

Reviews

We sent 6 bottles of Batch 012 out for review. We will post reviews as we see them published:

Found North – Cask Strength Batch 012 Review - The Bourbon Bishop (Website) 

Found North Whisky Batch 12 - The Bourbon Journey (YouTube)

Season 3, Episode 82 (Feat. Batch 012) - Seen Through a Glass (Podcast)
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