Keeper’s Heart Maple Syrup Cask Finish Review

Distillery: O'Shaughnessy Distilling Company

Mash Bill: Sourced Irish and American Whiskey

Age: At least 4 years

Style: Blended

Barrel Finish: Maple Syrup Casks

ABV: 55% (110 proof)

Price: $59.99

Background: Keeper’s Heart whiskey has put Minneapolis on the U.S. whiskey map. With their inaugural blend released in 2021, Keeper’s Heart, has become a Minnesota staple and is quickly making its presence known on the national scene. Founders Patrick and Michael  O’Shaughnessy partnered with distilling legend Brian Nation, of Jameson, Redbreast, and Powers fame, to create the Keeper’s Heart from scratch. Since its inception, Keeper’s Heart has won several notable whiskey awards with the promise of more to come.

After the success of Keeper’s Heart Irish + American whiskey, the company started a series of barrel finished whiskeys. The maple syrup cask finish comes in at 110 proof, and is their Irish + American single barrel expression finished in maple syrup casks for 1 1/2 months.

Nose: Lemon peel, citrus, and caramel, with hints of chocolate and mint.

Palate: The maple syrup imparts sweetness as one would expect, but it is not cloying or offensive. Crème Brûlée and caramel pudding on the palate. At 110 proof, the whiskey tasted a little hot, which set the experience slightly off kilter.

Finish: Long and hot. The caramel and chocolate were still there, but the finish was overwhelmed by the heat.

Conclusion: Having tasted several Keeper’s Heart expressions, I had an idea of what to expect. The maple syrup cask finishing did add an extra dimension to the whiskey. They hit the mark on the length of time the whiskey spent in the finishing barrels. It was not overly sweet, as some finishes can be. The heat, however, distracted from some of the other facets of this whiskey. That said, after the palate was primed with a few sips, and the whiskey had a few minutes to rest, it was an easier drink and the creme brûlée was able to shine through. A few drops of water would help to mellow this expression, and this would be a great after dinner whiskey.