Lucky Seven Sampler! Part 1: The Frenchman, The Holiday Toast and The New Yorker
Background
Fun fact, Lucky Seven was my very first review! But it’s been quite some time since I checked in with their offerings; the last review coming in about a year and a half ago after they released their Frenchman offering. So when they released a 7 sample set, conveniently priced at $77.77, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to hit the whole lineup!
I’m going to split this set into two parts; this one will cover the finished offerings, which include The Frenchman (French Oak finished), The Holiday Toast (Double Oaked), and The New Yorker (Amburana finished). Part two will get into the straight bourbon releases. Without further ado, to the review!
Lucky Seven: The Frenchman (NAS, 113 Proof)
Nose: Brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts, Big Red chewing gum, it definitely has a dark sugar profile with hints of spice to come.
Palate: Brown sugar BOMB. There’s also notes of banana pudding, those brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts… it’s an oily and also treacly texture
Finish: Cinnamon hits first and foremost, but it’s honestly giving me horchata coffee vibes. It’s a good length, with a nice balance of spice and oak.
Great (7/10)
Overall: As noted above, I’ve obviously reviewed this before and I continue to think it’s a deliciously rich whiskey. It has a lovely and consistent richness, and a true end to end profile. I won’t spend a ton more time on this because I don’t have a ton to add on top of my previous review. Just a really nice pour.
Lucky Seven: The Holiday Toast (NAS, 115 Proof)
Nose: Caramel apples, polished wood… it’s not obviously a double oak offering but it does have a wood forward profile that hints something outside of normal aging is at play.
Palate: An interesting orchard fruit note persists, almost like apple pie filling. Cloves… and it’s fairly wood driven. A bit of a syrupy texture.
Finish: Ohhh, spicy! Black pepper, dark chocolate and a good amount of oak. A little dry, definitely pepper heat and some lingering sweetness but it’s fairly spice dominant.
Good to Very Good (5.5/10)
Overall: A solid stand alone pour, I just don’t think it necessarily hits at the same rate as the other Lucky Seven offerings I’ve had. I suspect though, that this is palate specific, The Frenchman has zany brown sugar thing I can’t quit, and this is a little too wood driven for me. But I could absolutely see someone else having these reversed and I would have no issues with it. Chock it up to personal preference!
Lucky Seven: The New Yorker (NAS, 117.2 Proof)
Nose: Fuck. Amburana is so fucking strong. That Amburana cinnamon/sandalwood note and that’s all I get.
Palate: Again, it’s just Amburana, it’s only that cinnamon gum note that comes from Amburana casks. I’m sorry for the boring review, but if you’ve had an Amburana finish before this is it.
Finish: Did I mention cinnamon? It reminds me of the finish of the Rare Character r/bourbon pick I didn’t love either.
Sub-par (4/10)
Overall: I guess the name fits? Like the common perception of New Yorkers, this is a brash whiskey. It’s too much for me personally, too much Amburana influence. This pour is maybe unfairly punished by my exhaustion with Amburana finishes. I think they all taste the same, drowning out the base spirit entirely. If this were the first one I tried, I would probably be more forgiving, but the novelty for me and Amburana has worn off completely.
