Tommy Rotter Distillery is named after a band of rebellious artisans who in the early 20th century who broke rank from the Arts and Crafts Movement to create for creation’s sake, according to the company’s website. Located in downtown Buffalo, NY in a 115-year-old paper box factory, owners Bobby Finan and Sean Insalaco seek to capture this conscientious spirit with their distillery and products. Like all of their products, this whiskey is presented in the company’s simple and trendy label design which is accented with thin type and a single bold color for each product.

The company’s Triple Barrel American Whiskey is a blend of two sourced bourbons made in Indiana and a whiskey made in Tennessee, then finished in French oak red wine barrels. The youngest whiskey in the blend is a year old, which probably accounts for the whiskey’s very light coloring. The nose features very mild notes of grain and oak that are overtaken by slightly stronger flourishes of grape, raspberry, and vanilla. Light and fruity, the nose is quite welcoming. The whiskey tastes on the thin side with flavors of vanilla and grape struggling to spring forward. It’s not at all overly grain-forward despite of this or its age. It finishes a bit hot for a 92 proof whiskey, which makes it hard for its flavor profile to shine. Despite this, Tommy Rotter Triple Barrel American Whiskey is a nice sipper in its current state, but it’s clear the whiskey needs some additional time in the barrel for the flavor to develop into a stronger presentation.

‍The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Tommy Rotter Distillery. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.