Salted Caramel Whiskey
Travel Distilled takes a sip of Duke and Dame’s Salted Caramel Whiskey and discovers an inspired combination of flavors.
When I first heard of this salted caramel whiskey, I knew I had to try it. I wasn’t sure that I’d like it, but I certainly had to sip it to see. What I was sure about was that it would be either weird or wonderful.
The Guys behind this Salted Caramel Whiskey
It began, as so many drinks stories do, with two guys walking into a bar. This particular bar was somewhere in South Florida and the two guys were friends named Amani and Chima. By the time they walked out of the bar, a seed was sown, and that was the idea that they could produce something new in the ever-expanding whiskey market: a flavored whiskey that wouldn’t sacrifice the quality of a premium whiskey.
Photo by AJ Shorter Photography
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Photo Credit: AJ Shorter Photography
Salted Caramel Whiskey
Amani and Chima’s belief was that the whiskey market could continue to expand if they could produce something that was both good enough to appeal to regular whiskey drinkers and also attract people who weren’t regular whiskey drinkers. They also wanted a whiskey that was appealing enough to drink as a shot, but would also provide an intriguing ingredient in a cocktail.
Photo by AJ Shorter Photography
The end result was this salted caramel flavored whiskey. The whiskey itself is a blend made from whiskeys that are all 100% corn, including a bourbon that’s been aged for two years (which qualifies it as a straight bourbon). Bourbon only has to be 51% corn by law, but this 100% corn bourbon brings a natural sweetness by way of charred orange and toffee aromas and flavors. A natural salted caramel flavor is then introduced to the mix.
Tasting Salted Caramel Whiskey
The bottle is nothing out of the ordinary, but looks good on the bar with some appealing lettering on it. On the nose the sweetness hits you right away. After all, you’ve got caramel in the flavoring, toffee from the bourbon, and vanilla from the barrels. Way too sweet, my wife said, and only took a sip before saying: it’s all yours.
I didn’t mind that at all. I’ll have no trouble finishing a bottle of this. It is sweet, certainly, but for me it’s a totally natural sweetness, not something artificial and unpleasant. It’s also a classy whiskey, and on the palate the toffee, caramel, and vanilla are joined by hints of oak, spices, and orange. The finish is long and smooth, with a rich butteriness added to all that sweetness.
Salted Caramel Whiskey Cocktails
For me, I could sip and savor this 35% ABV (70 proof) whiskey neat all night, or just on the rocks to keep it crisp and cold. However, the Duke and Dame website does have some intriguing cocktail suggestions. One is for a regular Old-Fashioned but using this salted caramel whiskey instead of regular whiskey. One I could be tempted to try is a Duke and Dame Pineapple Mule, as adding some ginger beer and pineapple juice to the whiskey definitely sounds like a winner.
Buying this Salted Caramel Whiskey
At the moment the whiskey is only available over the counter in Florida, Michigan, and New York. See a list of stockists here. However, you can also buy it from several online retailers, including Drizly, where it’s currently priced at a very reasonable $27.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Buying this Salted Caramel Whiskey
At the moment the whiskey is only available over the counter in Florida, Michigan, and New York. See a list of stockists here. However, you can also buy it from several online retailers, including Drizly, where it’s currently priced at a very reasonable $27.99 for a 750ml bottle.
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