Review: Tincup American Whiskey

Time for a bourbon with the distinctive Tincup brand owned by marketing firm Proximo who also handle familiar names such as Jose Cuervo and Kraken Rum. Most modern brands nowadays are very slick and Tincup is no different with an elegant and practical bottle followed by slick presentation. 

Regulars will know I'm more interested in the contents rather than lavish packaging or bold statements. Tincup is made up from 64% corn, 32% rye and the remaining from 4% malted barley. There has been some debate as to the origins of the whisky itself, as American whiskey (as I'll spell it from now) is very much local distilleries creating regional takes on the spirit and building their own liquid identity.

Researching Tincup online, initially it did came in for criticism for its marketing, as basing itself around Colorado. Originally its distillery origins were the source of speculation as ultimately it does herald from Lawrenceburg, Indiana with the MGPI distillery. It has been described as a sourced whiskey with the deliberate intension to create a brand and unique mashbill. This is a totally different approach to local distilleries who create small batches and often just go with the flow; for want of a better term. Tincup is by comparison more engineered and specifically positioned away from the bustling bourbon market. This step away from a more regulated market especially when it comes to the naming, allows the owners to focus on the brand. 

It is interesting that the spirit is then shipped to Colorado to be cut with local water and a possible splash of local spirit from Stranahan distillery before being bottled. It has certainly created much debate online so it’s worth further reading if you are interested via a search engine.

Part of Tincup’s appeal on this side of the pond is its general availability thanks to excellent distribution. It also features a very attractive suggested retail price, particularly for an American spirit coming into the UK. This allows newcomers or the whiskey curious the freedom to experiment without paying a much higher price for a small batch American whiskey; that may ultimately come later on.

Distillery: MGPI/Stranahan

Distilled: a no age statement

Strength: 42% vol

Price: around £32

Colour: fresh rust

Nose: a very enjoyable and satisfying nose on display here; all-spice spice with a creaminess pictured as roasted marshmallows. Throw in some marzipan and coconut flakes with an oddity twist in the shape of an aluminium tin can! It has a metallic dynamic, which to me is interesting.

Taste: well rounded, that slight rough edge that encapsulates many bourbons I've experienced with the freshness of the wood is tampered here. You can feel it on the edges of your tongue but not the full on dynamic effect and I love this aspect. A little ginger and nuttiness in the profile of walnuts yet not much else.

The nose is the stronger and more memorable aspect overall. The actual taste profile shows up the limitations in the creation. It's perfectly pleasant and for the asking price I'd say Tincup is about right.