ASW Distillery was began production in 2016, helmed by Jim Chasteen, Charlie Thompson and Justin Manglitz in Atlanta, though they did release a blended offering out of Charleston, South Carolina in 2011 called American Spirit Whiskey. While a relatively new distillery, ASW looked back to their families’ Scottish, Irish and French backgrounds to guide them toward developing spirits into the modern American market. They offer a wide range of bourbons, ryes and single malts, along with newer takes on white spirits. While they distill most of their offerings themselves, they do have some sourced spirits housed under their Fiddler brand. The ASW Tire Fire is an Islay-style single malt, distilled from peated Scottish barley out of the Highlands. It goes into the barrel – char levels 3 and 4 – at 45ppm. Some versions have been finished in ex-rum casks but the one for this review was not.
Distillery: ASW Distillery
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 45.5%
Price: $49.99
Maturation: new American oak casks
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Nose: Cherrywood, grass, apple, smoke, grain, cardboard, chestnut, raisin
Palate: Tar, peat, smoke, spice,
Finish: Smoke
Comments: Fair warning, this is a young whiskey. Consider pairing with a snack. Chocolate, cheese, meats, crackers, the spirit can compete with other flavor contenders.
Adam – Strident smoke on the nose with a fringe of fruit. Oh right, and also…burning tires? Spot on for the marketing department. It really makes me wonder if this was initially a mistake that the distillers seized on and further refined into something drinkable or if this was the end result they were aiming for all along. That being said, I don’t find the nose unpleasant, just unusual. Like the weird uncle you see at family gatherings every several years. The palate is more one-note, tar and smoke. Not dialed up beyond bearing but still present and singular, before finishing with a lingering smoke. Really makes me wish the peat shone more here instead of the smoke and char. Does that come from under-maturation? Does it come from an extra cut on the tails, which nab a great deal of phenols? Does it come from the differing char levels on the new oak barrels? Am I looking for an Islay peat profile when the barley comes from a Highland source? It could be a mixture of all of these things I suppose but the smoke blasts here and there’s not a whole lot else that provides comfort. This does work really well with certain foods like chocolate, which undercut some of the phenols and mute the acridity enough for the better smoke and fruit elements to shine. The Tire Fire would likely make a banger cocktail, for those inclined.
Kate – This really smells like a rye to me, which is not a plus in my book. With a lot of work I can find an over-roasted chestnut. Reminds me in some ways of the nose on the Wood Hat Twin Timbers. With a little time a bit of maple edges out. Ooph. I just don’t want to work this hard on a first date. This is more like something in need of a therapy appointment. You’re either overcompensating or you’re too high maintenance for me. The palate goes from sweet to tannic to spicy to earthy to smoky and then back to sweet. This is clearly made in a hotter climate.
Henry – A forked nose (deviated septum???) of burnt nuts layered on sweet apple and cherry wood, with just a hint of burnt rubber if you catch it at the wrong angle. Big peat on the palate, with ashy char, burnt marshmallow, and burnt caramel. Burnt lemon on the finish, with extra char. The name says it all – let’s hear it for truth in advertising.
Ben – The wet hay in the nose gets some definition after you drink it and becomes a peated barley. I really like how the glass smells after it’s empty and has been sitting for a while.
The name says it all – let’s hear it for truth in advertising.
Bill – For me, the nose is extremely grain forward. I like certain aspects of it. After tasting it, it felt like pure ash and I did not care for that as much. But it didn’t thrill me. It was almost a little one-dimensional on the flavor. Not very complex and it didn’t evolve.
Mike – The Tire Fire smells like wet cardboard to me. It’s one of those whiskies where it’s not offensive; I liked it but I am not in love with it. It had some unique flavors but it was too much of a tire fire to really enjoy. It was also a little plastic-y at points.
Evelyn – I liked the Tire Fire. I would make a cocktail with it. I don’t know if I would sit and drink this all night but I think the flavors would play really well in a cocktail situation.
Sam – In New Orleans, all of the rubber that would come from South America and sit in the shipyards and this is what this reminds me of, it gets in your nose. The unprocessed rubber. Smells kind of like a forest fire that they just put out. This is hot asphalt. I just don’t like Tire Fire.
