Review: Whiskeys of Brother Justus
Review: Whiskeys of Brother Justus
Brother Justus Whiskey Company calls northeast Minneapolis home. The fledgling American single malt distillery utilizes a mashbill of Minnesota pale ale 2-row barley malted by Rahr Malting. Capturing some local terroir, Brother Justus matures its whiskey in new oak barrels harvested from the Minnesota Oak Savanna. Oak growing in cold climates yields tighter wood grain than oak growing in warmer climates. Minnesota’s Barrel Mill crafted local oak into barrels sporting #3 and #4 char levels for Brother Justus to age for a short period, reportedly less than a year.
Comparatively minimal maturation makes Brother Justus intriguing in that the first edition of Brother Justus Founder’s Reserve American Single Malt Whiskey was awarded a Double Gold Medal and named as a finalist for Best in Class at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. However, the most interesting facet of the budding distillery is its current and future membership claim to the category of American Single Malt Whiskey. Brother Justus operates 3 different hybrid stills, each with different capacities and manufacturers. Distillate exits the hybrid stills at an eyebrow-raising 170 proof and enters barrels at 120 proof.
This is where things start to get interesting. The United States has not yet officially adopted standards of identity to define American Single Malt Whiskey. Despite a current lack of official acceptance by the TTB, self-governed industry standards are already widely accepted and used by the industry as the TTB drags its feet. If the TTB eventually accepts the current proposed standards of identity, one criteria will require a distillation proof no higher than 160 proof. As it currently stands, Brother Justus American Single Malt Whiskey and its 170 proof distillation point would fall outside the standard of identity for the category. And, even with an eventual 3 years of maturation, Brother Justus doesn’t even meet the criteria for single malt based on Scotland’s mandate of the use of pot stills, since Brother Justice utilizes hybrid stills.
Brother Justus Whiskey Company willingly finds itself in an interesting place. The whiskey is young. There are currently no regulatory objections to claiming the moniker of American Single Malt Whiskey, but that will most certainly change unless existing bottles are grandfathered. With these intriguing factors, how is the actual whiskey in the bottle? Do any of those elements matter if the whiskey is good? Let’s commence.
Brother Justus American Single Malt Whiskey – This offering serves as the flagship expression for the distillery. The nose kicks off with overly ripe bananas and sweet prunes. Honey and black tea develop as a wisp of black licorice rounds out the bouquet. The youthful single malt’s palate initially offers notes of honey and roasted pecans. As the palate evolves, toffee and peaches emerge. Resulting from minimal time in barrels, the mouthfeel is quite thin and watery, though greater depth is evident on the finish as milk chocolate leads to root beer, coffee, and vanilla. The flavor profile is at odds with the thin mouthfeel, yet the tasting experience is still rather pleasant considering its youth. I would love to revisit this expression in few years after longer maturation. 86 proof. B / $70
Brother Justus Cold-Peated American Single Malt Whiskey – Put away your preconceived notions regarding peat and malt whiskey. Brother Justus holds the trademark on the term “Cold-Peated” as the process is entirely different from the standard use of peat. The Aitikin County Process embraces filtering distillate with raw peat prior to barreling. The characteristic aromas and flavors associated with peat-smoked barley are completely absent as the responsible compounds are not activated without burning. How does peat harvested from bogs in Minnesota’s Boreal Forest impact whiskey without being burned? Leading the way on the nose, black walnuts and grape jelly are prominent. The remainder of the nose is very muted as traces of dark chocolate and apricots struggle to manifest. The palate leads with Nilla Wafers and lightly astringent black walnuts. Shifting to the midpalate, Cold-Peated offers ripe pears and nougat. Again, the mouthfeel is extremely thin, but provides a lively tingling sensation that is wholly isolated to the frontal region of the tongue. Much like its flagship sibling, Cold-Peated needs more time in the barrel. 86 proof. B- / $100
Brother Justus Founder’s Reserve 2 (2024) – This bottling is a premium offering from Brother Justus and affords it a chance to put its best foot forward. The nose is much more pronounced as ripe dark plums and sweet sultanas jump from the glass. Richness wafts upward in the form of cranberry juice and overly ripe pears. The palate alludes to winter as orange juice meets cranberry sauce before turning to dark chocolate and light vanilla. The mouthfeel remains fragile, but the flavors are spirited. Orange zest and caramel usher in the finish before giving space to cinnamon and Honeycrisp apples. Despite not being overly impressed with the previous two expressions, Founder’s Reserve 2 turns out to be a delightful whiskey. The suggested price of $130 is going to be a hard sell for most consumers, but if the price were to be reduced, Founder’s Reserve 2 could be an excellent addition to the collection of any aficionado. 124 proof. A- / $130
Brother Justus American Single Malt Whiskey
$70
