I’ve enjoyed drams distilled from barley, rye, corn, oats, and rice, but the folks at KOVAL in Chicago are distilling millet-based spirits. Not being a millet-man (but being adventurous), I had to do some research on millets. It is similar to rice, but with a low GI (glycemic index), and contains lots more calcium, protein, fiber, and iron – sounds like a super-rice. The Millet opens with bold anise, licorice, and clove, giving way to vanilla and honey, evolving to banana, vanilla, and pear with light caramel, then a combo of coconut cream pie and banana cream pie. A light-oily mouthfeel and thin clingy legs carry this myriad of light flavors through a medium finish. While this dram has a huge variety of flavors, it lacks depth – it’s flat – like drinking a soda with no carbonation. After a couple drams, I feel like I’ve eaten too many pancakes with too much syrup – sugar overload/coma – bluuuuuuuh…. Strange that a dram can move from rather pungent spices to overwhelming sweetness. I’ll be sticking to barley drams, and forego millet drams.
Drink slow, drink long, drink a variety, drink often.