Welcome to Shelf Sleepers, our semi-regular guide to the best booze nobody is buying. This time: Noah's Mill, a dark and semi-mysterious that makes a perfect Thanksgiving date.
What we know: Noah's Mill is a high-proof Willett Distilling product that's a blend of many barrels ranging from four to 20 years old. The distiller is unknown, as is the composition of the whiskey inside.
It's one of a few Willett-owned brands that source whiskey from other distillers, a collection that includes other deep-cut value buys like Rowan's Creek (effectively Noah's Mill's baby brother) and Johnny Drum. But Noah's Mill is a bit different.
It's widely speculated that it's a blend of bourbon ages (again, the very wide range of four to 20 years) and many bourbon mashbills, including high-rye, low-rye and wheated bourbon grain makeups. If you were playing whiskey Jeopardy and given only that information as the hint at guessing the producer, you'd likely answer "what is High West distillery?"
It's also a 114 proof bourbon available on the mid-shelf — about $50 to $55 usually. Altogether you have a whiskey that can carry a conversation with family members you don't want to discuss a particularly searing election with.
Pour over ice and find a dark corner to hide in. The rye, youthful whiskey and extra-aged spirit in this bottle winds up tasting like baking spices, peanuts and pancakes.
