![[Review] Art of the Spirits 5-in-1 Mega Review](https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/310b2859-156f-408d-b878-7d35c9c04aa9.webp){kind=link}
While perusing my local liquor store over Labor Day weekend, I found something I simply couldn’t resist. Art of the Spirits is a small distillery out of Colorado Springs with a few interesting selling points. Most obviously, the artwork - each bottle has a label based on an oil painting by Danial James or David Uhl, two Colorado artists made famous by their work for Harley Davidson motorcycles. I’m a big believer that a handcrafted whiskey is a work of art in its own right so I love the pairing here. Less obvious is that this distiller has specifically targeted the barrel pick market. Each of the five whiskies shown here is a cask strength single barrel selected by Goody Goody. The three Bonnie-and-Clyde themed “Final Run” bottles are actually the same spirit, just finished in different ways to bring out different flavors, whereas we also have as “Easy Elegance” and “The Originals” are a bit different. All five bottles were in the $80-$100 range each at my store.
I will put my individual reviews below, but overall I am impressed by Art of the Spirits. This is a very competitive price point, and none of these are likely to become an everyday favorite. Keeping in mind that these are cask strength limited editions I always felt like I was getting my money’s worth though. Which is best? That’s hard to say. “The Originals” was my least favorite and the one of the five I wouldn’t recommend. The flavor profile was certainly unique but not something that really clicked with me. I can also say that I preferred the Ruby Port “Final Run” over the “Tawny Port” as those are similar enough that a head-to-head comparison feels fair. Between the Ruby, the Madiera, and they surprisingly complex Rye “Easy Elegance” I find it impossible to crown a victor however. All three are excellent and which I prefer depends entirely on my mood at the moment.
Distiller: Art of the Spirits
Product: The Originals
Bottle: 4 Square Rum Finish
Category: Whiskey
Aged: 6 years American oak finished in rum
Nose: Anise, creamy butterscotch, allspice.
Body: Licorice, but the fake sugary kind from a Twizzler’s candy. Cinnamon, brown sugar, cloves, and other spices.
Finish: Apple cider, nutmeg, and with a bit of a harsh tobacco at the very end.
Activation: A bit sweeter, some raw cane sugar with your spice blend. Not overly noticeable.
Notes: Our next Art of the Spirits offering is the Originals, named in honor of the 10th Special Forces group from the OSS in WW2 and featuring an oil painting that wouldn’t be out of place on a Call of Duty game. It’s at the same time familiar (rum barrels often leave behind blends of cinnamon and spice) and quite unique - the licorice flavors are something I’m not used to. If you told me the rum was mixed with a hit of absinthe I would believe you. To be honest I don’t love it, certainly not at this price point.
Distiller: Art of the Spirits
Product: Final Run
Bottle: Madeira Cask Finish
Category: Whiskey
Aged: 6 years American oak finished in madeira sherry
Nose: That distinctive tangerine body, this time laden with a rich floral honey mixed with dulce de leche.
Body: The rich caramel continues over a sweet cookie base. I’m reminded quite strongly of traditional alfajores. There’s something else as well, a barnyard hay or alfalfa quality with just enough of a sour grape note to remind you of the wine finishing.
Finish: Faint honey drizzled pastries fade altogether too quickly.
Activation: Becomes a bit more traditional, bringing out the green grape and apple flavors I would have initially expected. It’s not bad, but I prefer the uniqueness of the original.
Notes: Near as I can tell, this is the exact same base spirit as the port finished Final Run, just finished in madeira sherry instead. Generally on such things I prefer the richer, deeper flavors from a port cask but don’t count this one out yet. The sweet dulce de leche is so evocative and so unique that I struggle to think of anything else while I taste this. From originality alone, this one wins a place of honor on my shelf. For those counting, that is 2 for 2 for the upstart little distillery from Colorado Springs.
Distiller: Art of the Spirits
Product: Final Run
Bottle: Ruby Port Finish
Category: Whiskey
Aged: 6 years American oak finished in ruby port
Nose: Vanilla and tangerines with a hint of fresh spearmint.
Body: A sweet corn base is layered with rich wine tannins. Ripe plums and virgin olive oil over a chewy leather foundation.
Finish: Fresh oak, a dry Mexican style vanilla and a faint mint leaf conclusion leave you wanting more.
Activation: Accentuates some of the fruit flavors: more plums, cherries, and even some dark grapes. Personally this makes things a bit too sweet for my taste and I prefer the neat expression.
Notes: And so the Art of the Spirits rundown begins with a bang, Bonnie and Clyde style. The ruby port variant of the Final Run is rich, decadent, and expressive. At a shade over 107 proof, this whiskey is bold and unapologetic but not coarse or harsh. Sweet fruits lend a dessert-like quality while adroitly avoiding the syrupy or medicinal connotations all too common in wine-finished whiskey. The price point is aggressive, but remember that this is a limited edition cask strength bottling and therefore was never in the running to be the next daily sipper. All in all, a strong opening salvo from Art of the Spirits and I’m excited to try the rest of the range.
Distiller: Art of the Spirits
Product: Final Run
Bottle: Tawny Port Finish
Category: Whiskey
Aged: 6 years American oak finished in tawny port
Nose: Very mild. Roasted walnuts and fresh pine needles.
Body: Drier and more oak-forward than the previous expressions. Lots of nutty flavors: walnuts, pecans, pistachios. The sweetness this time comes from sort of an eggy creme brulee with caramelized sugar topping.
Finish: Finally some traditional port characteristics - cherries, cranberries, and spiced apple cider.
Activation: Ah now here it gets interesting. A splash of water cools it down, tames some of the resins and brings out a ton of autumnal flavors: cranberries, pumpkin spice, nutmeg. The first of the Final Runs that I would recommend this on.
Notes: Being a whiskey nerd and not a wine nerd, I was dubious that there would be much of a difference between a ruby port and a tawny port finish. At the end of the day it’s all the same grape right? Apparently the difference comes from the aging process, with tawny ports aging in smaller casks that extract more oak flavor and turn the wine brown (hence the name). When applied to a spirit the difference is dramatic. This is a much more savory whiskey, with all kinds of nuts and spices that can’t help but conjure images of Thanksgiving dinner, mulled wine, and spiced desserts on a cool night. If I had to choose I would probably give the edge to the ruby, but as with anything it’s a matter of preference and circumstance.
Distiller: Art of the Spirits
Product: Easy Elegance
Bottle: -
Category: Rye
Aged: 6 years American oak
Nose: Holiday fruitcake with plums, cherries, and figs baked in honey and spices. Surprising from a straight rye.
Body: Cinnamon, white peppercorn, pears, and figs over a base of spearmint fluoride mouthwash.
Finish: Pine needles and more spearmint give a crisp clean finish. I still think of the dentist’s chair, but it’s not an unpleasant combination.
Activation: Feels a bit buttery and creamier. Nothing too dramatic.
Notes: The fifth and final entry of this series, Easy Elegance is also the only spirit that comes to us fresh from the oak with no particular finishing run. I’d forgive you for thinking that there was a port or sherry involved here however as there is a fruit character not commonly seen in rye whiskey. I’m also a sucker for mint flavors in my whiskey, so the strong spearmint tones are right down my alley. Taken together, this might be my favorite of the lot.