Various
Hoste
42.2%
NAS
A premium ready-to-drink cocktail, this is the limited-edition 2024 release of Hoste Gold Fashioned. 2024's iteration is made with 9-year-old Kentucky bourbon finished in oloroso sherry casks; 6-year-old rye whiskey; 10-year-old rye whiskey; saffron bitters; and demerara. This 750-milliliter bottle of Old Fashioned contains 42.2% ABV, comes with an orange zest atomizer and is priced at $150. The bourbon was distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky, while the rye whiskeys come from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where they were distilled from a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. The saffron bitters are crafted by Hoste from hand-harvested Afghan saffron, grade-A Tahitian vanilla, single-estate Ecuadorian cacao, French gentian and Seville orange peel. The demerara comes from Malawi and is "minimally processed" and unrefined. Finally, the orange zest — crafted by Hoste — is made with Valencia, Blood and Navel oranges. Hoste is rightfully proud of the care it puts into its ingredients, and we appreciate the transparency.
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Sweet and pleasant on the nose. After a spray from the atomizer, it takes on a delicious, pure, bright and zesty orange aroma.
Sweet but not too sweet, nutty and viscous. This is an exquisitely balanced Old Fashioned. The whiskey takes center stage with notes of praline, rich vanilla custard, honey, barrel char and orange peel. This is a sweet but spirit-forward cocktail; the demerara holds its own but doesn't get in the way.
This cocktail finishes medium in length and very sweetly, with notes of vanilla, coffee and oak.
A near-perfect Old Fashioned. It leans a little too sweet on the finish on my palate, but Old Fashioned drinkers generally prefer more sweetness than I do, so I can't say I have any real complaints here. It's a balanced, viscous, spirit-forward cocktail, and the orange atomizer adds nicely to the experience. Hoste is the gold (no pun intended) standard when it comes to RTDs, and sets a very high bar.
95
Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.
