By Richard Thomas
Rating: B-
Although it’s not well-known to the public at large, I’m a fight fan and amateur boxer, and I’ve been studying the Sweet Science for three decades now. So, when someone asks me if I want to try a bourbon named “Puncher’s Chance,” my answer is to smile and say “of course!” In my book, this is a better effort to charm drinkers with a name than something named “Bootlegger’s Run” or whatever.
Puncher’s Chance comes to us from Wolf Spirit Distillery in Eugene, Oregon, who are following a familiar pattern of sourcing their brown spirits and making their white spirits. They aren’t disguising this, either: their copper is in Oregon, as mentioned, but the bourbon is sourced from Kentucky and says so on the bottle. There is no age statement, and the whiskey has been bottled at 90 proof.
The Bourbon
A pour suggests a youngish bourbon or at least one that was aged in barrels using a relatively low char setting, because the look of the bourbon is pale copper rather than even light amber. Looks can be deceptive, however, and this bourbon has none of the rough edges of young whiskey.
The scent was of cinnamon graham crackers with a hit of nuttiness, plus a current of cedar. Sipping revealed a smooth whiskey with a mild, flavorful and uncomplicated character: caramel with a hint of spiciness and a trace of barrel char. The finish was light and short, just a splinter of oak really.
This is actually a pretty enjoyable bourbon, and it’s main sin (if you can even call it that) is it’s simplicity.
The Price
The amazing thing about this whiskey is the price tag: a mere $30 a bottle.