“A deeper corn note than White, the Oaxacan black corn retains a firm nugget of sweetness, aromas of banana skins and dusty earth. To sip, it’s creamy, cool, and refreshing, with light mandarin flavors, gingerbread, corn fritters, vanilla, and peppery heat from the French oak cask. The finish has gentle warmth, with root ginger and kernels of roasted corn. Distinctive and highly promising.”

Jonny McCormick - Whisky Advocate

“Blue iris, dried chilies, and fresh linen; the corn is sweet and fat. Fresh and fruity, orange marmalade, honey oozing into maple syrup, developing more complexity as the smooth layers shift to accommodate the growing pepper and chili heat ahead of a spicy honey finish. For a 10-month-old single cask whiskey, this is remarkably impressive.”

Jonny McCormick - Whisky Advocate

“Pepper and allspice light up with savory brisket notes, star anise, a dry nuttiness, and a pile of peanut shells. The flavor slowly comes into focus with stewed apple, red currant, pomegranate, and cranberry, background spices, and late caramel sweetness. The finish has throbbing, gum-tingling heavy clove notes with toffee penny chews and red licorice.”

Jonny McCormick-Whisky Advocated

“Master distiller Douglas French unveils the single-barrel results of his latest heritage corn experiments: a dry and spicy nose with graham cracker, cornbread, red licorice, buttered corncobs, and a cloud of spices. It’s a big mouthful with flavors of fruit concentrate, red bell pepper, baked orange, clove, star anise, peppercorn, and toffee, with the spices congregating around the tip of the tongue, then a slightly vegetal finish”

Jonny McCormick - Whisky Advocate

“White has the most familiar corn whiskey character of this Mexican trio. Sweet buttered cobs of corn, faint toasted spices, green corn husks, and peanuts on the nose. The palate is sweet, gentle, and refreshing, bathed in honey, with dried peel, sweet corn, toasted oak spices, and a late sensation of charred oak, burnt toast, and peppercorn. That slight burnt note just creeps into the finish.”

Jonny McCormick - Whisky Advocated

Sierra Norte distilling started with Master Distiller Douglas French’s passion to use different varieties of this ancient, flavorful Oaxacan corn to make a series of unique, outstanding whiskies. Each variety is distilled separately and matured in French Oak casks, so as to showcase its individual character and nuance.