Whiskey Review: Hirsch The Departure American Single Malt

Introduction

We’re excited to dive into a whiskey that marks a bold new chapter for Hirsch: The Departure American Single Malt Whiskey. This is Hirsch’s first single malt, coming from the well-known Hotaling & Company out of San Francisco. If you’re familiar with the American craft whiskey scene, you might know them for their Old Potrero line, especially their rye whiskeys. But today, we’re stepping into new territory with them.

Hirsch began working on The Departure back in 2015, eager to explore barley. The result is a non-age-stated, 100% malted barley whiskey, double distilled in copper pot stills, and aged for six years and nine months in 24-month air-dried, 53-gallon American oak barrels—both new char #3 and toasted barrels. It clocks in at 98 proof, making it a serious contender in the fast-growing American single malt category.

This review is taken from our episode "1917 (2019) / Hirsch the Departure American Single Malt." Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.

Nose

Bob:
It definitely smells like American craft whiskey on the nose. And if you’ve been a fan of craft whiskey, you know exactly what I mean. Even at six years old, there’s quite a bit of graininess to this. There’s quite a bit of raw grain, and it smells a bit young. I get a bit of yeast on this, but underlying that, they’ve gotten some really nice baking spices. There’s a lot of caramel here. It smells like a sweeter rye whiskey under that grain. I get a little bit of oat as well, which is a grain we don’t often get in our mash bills. Cheerios was a really good note here, Brad. It’s both a little bit yeasty, bready, but also like a sweetened breakfast cereal.
Score: 7.5/10

Brad:
Absolutely. I think the nose has a lot of barley. It reminds me of Cheerios. There’s a little bit of a cherry stone fruit cordial kind of vibe, and it gets a little bit nutty for me—some almonds going on. I really like this. For me, it’s not especially crafty. It has a little bit of that craft whiskey vibe, but not nearly enough to derail it.
Score: 8/10

Taste

Bob:
I really like this, man. I’m not getting the green tea that you are, Brad. I’m not getting as much stone fruit either. The cocoa note is the predominant thing for me. Four or five seasons ago, we tried a specialty bourbon from Woodford Reserve made with chocolate malt, and I don’t remember getting a lot of chocolate on that, but that’s kind of what this is for me. It’s chocolate malt—lots of interesting grains coming out. I’m getting that oat again. It tastes like a bunch of funky grains went into this. It has that vibe of something completely different flavor-wise. Then you layer over that really dark cacao nibs, a ton of cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. It’s almost like a Mexican hot chocolate, but unsweetened, layered over raw grains. 
Score: 8/10

Brad:
When I got into the palate, all the things we talked about were there. The fruitiness turned into an apricot vibe. There’s a little bit of cocoa. The overwhelming note I got was green tea. This thing was like a green tea bomb with a glaze of caramelized apricot jam. A really interesting combination of fruity green tea. It’s not necessarily my favorite flavor wheelhouse—green tea’s not my go-to—but I do still like it. The flavor was there, not my favorite, but definitely noticeable.
Score: 7.5/10

Finish

Bob:
The finish is more of the same—it’s a really mouth-watering finish. There’s a ton of tingle on the tongue; it’s real spicy. It comes in at 98 proof, and I think it drinks actually a little bit hotter than that. Not in a bad way, but you could have convinced me this was like 105 or 107 proof. I’m a huge fan of this.
Score: 8/10

Brad:
I’m with you on the finish. The barley really sits there and lingers for a long time. The apricot sticks around, the green tea sticks around, and the cacao almost turns into a creamy dark chocolate the longer it sits on my palate, which I really like.
Score: 8/10

Balance

Bob:
I’m gonna give it a 7.5/10. I don’t think it’s an indicator that anything’s off here. What I really love about American single malt is that from distillery to distillery, it’s almost like when you go to a winery and ask, ‘What’s your house wine?’ There’s a distinct flavor and taste. I don’t know if it’s a terroir thing, but from the ones we’ve tried in Oregon, Washington, to this one in San Francisco, to some on the East Coast—they’re just very different flavor profiles. I like that a lot. This is carving out its own unique niche.

Brad:
I think I’ll give it a 7.5/10 as well. This takes you on a very interesting journey. I don’t know if it all works perfectly together, but I do like where it takes me overall.

Value

Bob:
The MSRP on this is $74.99, which is a little pricey for a six-year whiskey. But again, single malt is tricky to work with. It’s a new entry in America, relatively speaking. I don’t think this is exorbitant.
Score: 7/10

Brad:
I’m right there with you. This is a really interesting whiskey. I love being curious about whiskeys, Bob. It’s been a while since we had a whiskey that really piqued my curiosity.
Score: 7/10

Final Scores

Bob:
I’m coming to a 38/50. This is the kind of whiskey that you and I pull off the shelf because it’s fascinating. We’ve tried five or six hundred whiskeys over the course of this podcast—this one I’m gonna remember. Not because it’s bad, but because it’s just different. I don’t know that I would give this to somebody who’s just getting into single malts for the first time. It’s not a good entry point because it’s so far outside the wheelhouse of what you typically expect. All that said, I’m nearing a 40 on this. This is a no-brainer thumbs up for me if you get a chance to try this and you’re feeling adventurous.

Brad:
I’m in the same spot, 38/50. This is a really interesting whiskey. Hirsch, I think, has departed well. At the very least, the beginning of their adventure is going well. So, well done, Hirsch.

Conclusion

With a final score of 38/50 from both of us, Hirsch The Departure American Single Malt lands in that sweet spot where we’d absolutely recommend trying a pour at a bar or, if you’re feeling adventurous, even grabbing a bottle. For context, a 35/50 is typically where we recommend considering a pour or purchase, a 40/50 is great, and anything 45/50 or above is excellent. Hirsch has taken a fascinating first step into the world of American single malt, and we’re excited to see where they go next.