Honeycomb | Tobacco leaf | Plum | Crisp cherry | Dark fruits | Touch of leather | Well balanced | Fantastic

Dark fruits | Plum | Blueberry Pop-Tarts | Cherry | Raspberry | Raisin | Creamy texture | Easy sipper

Red grapes | Caramel | Light spice | Lingering sweetness

World Whiskey Society (WWS) was established in 2020, and according to the company’s website, “comprises an ultra-premium collection of rare expressions previously unavailable to even the most sophisticated whiskey enthusiasts.” WWS seeks out whiskeys from around the world, noting they have “a singular goal in mind - uniqueness - before selecting a distillery partner to join WWS.” Their releases are unique in two ways. The first is aesthetic, with bottle and label designs that range from unique toppers to full decanters and even a bottle that’s wearing a full samurai coat of arms. The second unique aspect is the range of sources, which includes distilleries like Heaven Hill and MGP, but also craft distilleries and even whiskeys from now defunct distilleries from a range of various states.

Like many other barrel finished World Whiskey Society releases, Couture Collection 10 Year kicks things off with a fantastic nose. Layers of dark fruits meld with honeycomb, leather, and tobacco leaf, making for a complex and inviting aroma. Intensity tapers on the palate, which is full-flavored and dark fruit focused but sheds a layer of complexity found on the nose in favor of dark fruit notes. The sweetness continues into the finish, which gives way to hints of caramel and spice, but leaves you with a lingering sweetness. It’s an almost too easy-sipping whiskey, with a heavy focus on the dark fruit side of the flavor spectrum. At 96 proof, it’s on the lower side of releases from World Whiskey Society, but it’s still very flavorful and should fare well across a wide range of whiskey drinkers.