Mellow F***ing Corn

Not that mellow is it?

By Not Masters of Malt

February 8^th, 2021

BEHIND THE BOTTLE:

Ah, Mellow “F***ing” Corn! Time to review the cult and meme-worthy bottom shelf corn whiskey from Heaven Hill Distillery. This whiskey has its own subreddit channel and many people say it’s the best value bottle out there. Lets dig into it and see if they’re right!

FROM THE DISTILLER...

Heaven Hill Distillery:

“Mellow Corn is authentic American Corn Whiskey, a unique kind of straight whiskey that is rarely seen. As corn whiskey, it must be at least 80% corn grain in the mashbill and can be aged in new uncharred or used charred barrels.

The forerunner and kissing cousin to Bourbon, American Straight Corn Whiskey has a recipe or mashbill that includes the minimum of 80% corn, the rest being malted barley and rye.”

REVIEW:

Price (7/10):

My Dad grabbed this for me during a trip to Kentucky for $13. (Thanks Dad!) For a $13 bottled in bond whiskey, it’s a pretty good deal. At a price like that, I would try to always have a bottle on my bar.

Nose (5/10):

What hits first is the proof, this smells hot. After the heat subsides, you are left with a pleasant sweet corn and vanilla nose that reminds me of Kix cereal. There’s also just a hint of lemon. It’s an enjoyable enough nose, but not very complex.

Palate (6/10):

The proof sting of the nose comes across right away, but not as bad as the nose would make you think. This whiskey has nice kettle popcorn sweetness mixed with a bit of caramel. After another sip, I get a note that reminds me of flat Coke mixed with candy corn. The mouthfeel is pretty thin.

Finish (5/10):

This is a pretty short, almost non-existent finish. The flavors that are there are more of the flat Coke note which quickly turns into some oak and corn on the cob.

Aesthetics (3/5):

Mellow Corn’s bottle and label looks like it hasn’t changed in decades, and I find that charming! The bright yellow label and screw top certainly make it stand out on the shelf.

Availability (2/5):

Once again, this whiskey isn’t something that you can find in Ohio so I have to knock it down a few points. Also, the last few times I’ve been in Kentucky, I haven’t seen it either so I can’t really say how easy this is to find for people outside of Ohio.

Overall (28/50): Daily Drinker

Final Verdict:

So does Mellow Corn live up to the hype? I don’t know about all of that... but bottom line is I like it! The flavor is good and the price is great and it’s a bottle I would probably have on my bar if I could find it in Ohio. Would I pay much more than the current MSRP? Probably not, but this a perfectly fine whiskey to drink with a beer, on ice, in cocktails or for shots if you want to get weird.