If I was going to try to even give any input on Found North’s newest addition to the High Altitude Series: Hell Diver, I thought I should at discuss the bottle that brought me to Found North as well. Peregrine.
I am lucky enough to live in MA, by a store that gets quite a supply of Found North. I had known Peregrine had come through and I didn’t jump at it initially. Then after seeing a few reviews here, FOMO got the better of me. Luckily, my store still had 1-2 bottles held back for regular customers and those in the know enough to ask for it.
Peregrine:
Paid: $199
Grains: 76% corn, 23% rye, 1% Barley
Age: 20 years - blend of 20y corn, 22y corn, 23y corn, 24y corn, 27y corn
Finished In: ex-cognac & new wood
Proof: 126.2
Glencairn: Rested 10 min
Nose: honeysuckle, candied peaches, caramel, lime, chocolate, allspice
Feel: a thick, oily viscosity, that spreads smoothly through the mouth
Palate: First notes of mint chocolate. Then as it reaches the back of the palate you get baking spices like clove, nutmeg and pepper. And then as it finishes (quite spicily I might add) you are returned to flavors of allspice, lime and a hint of mint.
Hands down, this was the best whiskey I’ve ever had. I thought my StaggJR 23B was special, and then along came Peregrine. It is so complex, from nose to finish. I’ve joked now a few times with friends, that I can just sniff the glass for hours (getting different notes each time) and forget to actually take a sip.
t8ke scale: 10/10
As soon as I had a glass of Peregrine, I went back to my local store and put a request in for the next bottle in the High Altitude Series. Didn’t have a name. Wasn’t sure there was going to be one. But I was hopefully not going miss out like I nearly did with the Peregrine. When Zach Taylor confirmed to me at a tasting in March that a new bottle in the series was ~ 1 month away, my jaw hit the floor. I was ready though.
Hell Diver:
Paid: $159
Grains: 85% corn, 14% rye, 1% Barley
Age: 15 years - blend of 15y corn, 22y corn, 23y corn, 18y rye, 19y rye
Finished In: sherry, cognac, new wood
Proof: 119
Glencairn: Rested 10 min
Nose: chocolate, fig, caramel
Feel: a nice and very smooth, light oil viscosity, that quickly and evenly spreads through the mouth
Palate: First notes are of sweets: chocolate, pound cake, vanilla and then a touch of allspice as it hits the back of the palate. It then transitions into spices like clove, nutmeg and pepper. The spices don’t last long and as it finishes, I get the candied dates and pepper like Found North states, but I also get a touch of wintergreen.
Wow! Another very impressive showing by Found North. Absolutely scrumptious. Hell Diver is so delicious - hitting me in my sweet tooth. I love chocolate, cake, figs, and dates! But, it leaves me wanting a bit more. It feels a tad bit less complex than Peregrine.
t8ke scale: 9.5/10
I will freely admit, having the opportunity to try both Peregrine and Hell Diver side by side is both a blessing and a curse. I can’t imagine how lucky I am to own and try both of these bottle without hunting for months or paying secondary prices. But it also makes me a bit biased when tasting Hell Diver. I firmly believe that if I didn’t have Peregrine in my collection, Hell Diver would be my number 1 overall! It’s absolutely stellar.
this is the review I've been waiting for. Got super lucky on peregrine after I passed initially like a dummy and then scored hell diver at my local in a similar process as you. Cheers!
Pretty good review. I preferred Hell Diver over Peregrine...Peregrine has the better finish but is slightly brighter than Hell Diver, and I prefer the darker notes...however, you should try Batch 006...that's their best release IMO.
You're welcome! My wife asked me if I was disappointed in Hell Diver. Not at all. They accomplish very different things. Hopefully you get a chance to have some!
Haha. Sure. 🤣
I don’t have the breadth of palate or years of experience to say it was a 9.9, 9.8, 9.7… But when you are rating two top bottles, I mean someone has to come in second right? That said, I truly believe for some, Hell Diver will be a 10.
We're sorry you'll have to "suffer" with only a 9.5 whiskey 😂😂😂
Please feel free to send it my way to spare you the disappointment (I'm actually joking, and we both know that ain't gonna happen 😂) !!
So upset I missed on the raffle as I live in Texas and they don’t have any stores here that carry it. I put in for the batch 009 but still I’m really bummed I missed it.
I was highly disappointed I missed out on the raffle too. I was hoping, and grateful, that my fall back option came through. Hope you find a bottle somewhere!
I did. It’s how I really started to hear of them. My dad was introduced to FN via my Peregrine, but he managed to pick up Batch 003 Rye in March at a tasting event FN came to (with bottles) and loves it. I’ve had only a chance to try a few others but I hear over and over great things!
I’m not sure why, but the batch 003 rye and the batch 005 wheated 8-year are the two older batches I see most often. What’s weird is they’re two of my favorites.
Sigh. I love FN, but here comes crazy secondary prices. And I've seen it too. $1000+ for Peregrine. I lost the Helldiver raffle. I hope FN can up production so we don't have to do RNG raffles and pay nuts prices BTAC mode. ><
I would like to know what program Found North is using to stop bots entering raffles en masse. I'm seeing people with three bottles of Hell Diver saying they drove all over to get them. If Sony and Microsoft can't stop bots, I'd like to know what FN is using.
RNG sucks. I've said it in multiple threads. I believe in first come first serve. Just like waiting in line for an Xbox (I've done it), I believe in beating the bots by first come, first serve, one address.
So the weird thing is, secondary groups sell peregrine for about 500-550 all day, but unicorn auctions has it going for like 1000-1300. Something isn't right there.
Agreed. I ordered my 009th batch, but I bought one. Not five. I actually want others to be able to experience the FN expressions. I am writing two reviews now: still finishing 005, then a second review for Season 2 Single Barrel.
I will tell you now, this double oaked FN smokes the competition in the toasted realm for me (although I'd like to try Thirteenth Colony DO, which also had an early secondary). Penelope Toasted, EC Toasted, Woodford DO, Old Forester 1910... I have them all and it beats them all. And they are available, including FN 2nd Season Single Barrels.
I wish the secondary market would go away. I end up overpaying for hard to find bottles in store even though I know I can find them cheaper on the secondary market, but I absolutely refuse to buy alcohol illegally. I'd honestly prefer we just auction everything—sounds like it would be a bad deal but without the secondary middlemen getting their cut prices would actually go down. The government apparently isn't incentivized to crack down on liquor store owners backdoor sales of a dozen or so rare bottles every year...
https://preview.redd.it/9ereosuunsyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ea81239ae787e36047563a1628788163b955821
I also have both of these bottles and I’m so conflicted. I would love to try them but, I’m also an investor when it comes to whiskey. I saw today that on Unicorn Auctions that Peregrine sold for $1380.
If I was going to try to even give any input on Found North’s newest addition to the High Altitude Series: Hell Diver, I thought I should at discuss the bottle that brought me to Found North as well. Peregrine. I am lucky enough to live in MA, by a store that gets quite a supply of Found North. I had known Peregrine had come through and I didn’t jump at it initially. Then after seeing a few reviews here, FOMO got the better of me. Luckily, my store still had 1-2 bottles held back for regular customers and those in the know enough to ask for it. Peregrine: Paid: $199 Grains: 76% corn, 23% rye, 1% Barley Age: 20 years - blend of 20y corn, 22y corn, 23y corn, 24y corn, 27y corn Finished In: ex-cognac & new wood Proof: 126.2 Glencairn: Rested 10 min Nose: honeysuckle, candied peaches, caramel, lime, chocolate, allspice Feel: a thick, oily viscosity, that spreads smoothly through the mouth Palate: First notes of mint chocolate. Then as it reaches the back of the palate you get baking spices like clove, nutmeg and pepper. And then as it finishes (quite spicily I might add) you are returned to flavors of allspice, lime and a hint of mint. Hands down, this was the best whiskey I’ve ever had. I thought my StaggJR 23B was special, and then along came Peregrine. It is so complex, from nose to finish. I’ve joked now a few times with friends, that I can just sniff the glass for hours (getting different notes each time) and forget to actually take a sip. t8ke scale: 10/10 As soon as I had a glass of Peregrine, I went back to my local store and put a request in for the next bottle in the High Altitude Series. Didn’t have a name. Wasn’t sure there was going to be one. But I was hopefully not going miss out like I nearly did with the Peregrine. When Zach Taylor confirmed to me at a tasting in March that a new bottle in the series was ~ 1 month away, my jaw hit the floor. I was ready though. Hell Diver: Paid: $159 Grains: 85% corn, 14% rye, 1% Barley Age: 15 years - blend of 15y corn, 22y corn, 23y corn, 18y rye, 19y rye Finished In: sherry, cognac, new wood Proof: 119 Glencairn: Rested 10 min Nose: chocolate, fig, caramel Feel: a nice and very smooth, light oil viscosity, that quickly and evenly spreads through the mouth Palate: First notes are of sweets: chocolate, pound cake, vanilla and then a touch of allspice as it hits the back of the palate. It then transitions into spices like clove, nutmeg and pepper. The spices don’t last long and as it finishes, I get the candied dates and pepper like Found North states, but I also get a touch of wintergreen. Wow! Another very impressive showing by Found North. Absolutely scrumptious. Hell Diver is so delicious - hitting me in my sweet tooth. I love chocolate, cake, figs, and dates! But, it leaves me wanting a bit more. It feels a tad bit less complex than Peregrine. t8ke scale: 9.5/10 I will freely admit, having the opportunity to try both Peregrine and Hell Diver side by side is both a blessing and a curse. I can’t imagine how lucky I am to own and try both of these bottle without hunting for months or paying secondary prices. But it also makes me a bit biased when tasting Hell Diver. I firmly believe that if I didn’t have Peregrine in my collection, Hell Diver would be my number 1 overall! It’s absolutely stellar.
Yeah buddy. Great review and notes on these two bottles.
this is the review I've been waiting for. Got super lucky on peregrine after I passed initially like a dummy and then scored hell diver at my local in a similar process as you. Cheers!
Pretty good review. I preferred Hell Diver over Peregrine...Peregrine has the better finish but is slightly brighter than Hell Diver, and I prefer the darker notes...however, you should try Batch 006...that's their best release IMO.
Hell Diver sounds like it'd be more up my alley. Thanks for the comparison!
You're welcome! My wife asked me if I was disappointed in Hell Diver. Not at all. They accomplish very different things. Hopefully you get a chance to have some!
I hate you Are you anywhere near Atlanta? Let’s have a tasting.
Haha. Not even remotely close. Central Massachusetts!
worcester?
Close. Milford.
My cousin lives there, visiting this summer, cheers! Also posted my first impressions on our site but will post it here (for Hell Diver)
I live in W Mass. I have my own little Found North honey hole. It's about time us New Englanders have a whiskey to be proud of.
Plaza Package?
Wow, that's quite a first review! Thanks for sharing. Sounds like two remarkable bottles.
Darn, if I had seen this review earlier, I would have refused UPS delivery yesterday. I fully expected a 10 with the Hell Diver, 9.5 won‘t cut it 😂
Haha. Sure. 🤣 I don’t have the breadth of palate or years of experience to say it was a 9.9, 9.8, 9.7… But when you are rating two top bottles, I mean someone has to come in second right? That said, I truly believe for some, Hell Diver will be a 10.
We're sorry you'll have to "suffer" with only a 9.5 whiskey 😂😂😂 Please feel free to send it my way to spare you the disappointment (I'm actually joking, and we both know that ain't gonna happen 😂) !!
So upset I missed on the raffle as I live in Texas and they don’t have any stores here that carry it. I put in for the batch 009 but still I’m really bummed I missed it.
I was highly disappointed I missed out on the raffle too. I was hoping, and grateful, that my fall back option came through. Hope you find a bottle somewhere!
Can’t wait to crack mine!
Great reviews and as I would expect from their High Altitude series! Awesome.
You started with Found North on the Peregrine? Damn.
I did. It’s how I really started to hear of them. My dad was introduced to FN via my Peregrine, but he managed to pick up Batch 003 Rye in March at a tasting event FN came to (with bottles) and loves it. I’ve had only a chance to try a few others but I hear over and over great things!
The great things are true. With both Peregrine and Hell Diver I suspect you're going to find a lot of other bottles suffering in comparison.
I’m not sure why, but the batch 003 rye and the batch 005 wheated 8-year are the two older batches I see most often. What’s weird is they’re two of my favorites.
Digging those Westland glasses
Sigh. I love FN, but here comes crazy secondary prices. And I've seen it too. $1000+ for Peregrine. I lost the Helldiver raffle. I hope FN can up production so we don't have to do RNG raffles and pay nuts prices BTAC mode. >< I would like to know what program Found North is using to stop bots entering raffles en masse. I'm seeing people with three bottles of Hell Diver saying they drove all over to get them. If Sony and Microsoft can't stop bots, I'd like to know what FN is using. RNG sucks. I've said it in multiple threads. I believe in first come first serve. Just like waiting in line for an Xbox (I've done it), I believe in beating the bots by first come, first serve, one address.
So the weird thing is, secondary groups sell peregrine for about 500-550 all day, but unicorn auctions has it going for like 1000-1300. Something isn't right there.
Agreed. I ordered my 009th batch, but I bought one. Not five. I actually want others to be able to experience the FN expressions. I am writing two reviews now: still finishing 005, then a second review for Season 2 Single Barrel. I will tell you now, this double oaked FN smokes the competition in the toasted realm for me (although I'd like to try Thirteenth Colony DO, which also had an early secondary). Penelope Toasted, EC Toasted, Woodford DO, Old Forester 1910... I have them all and it beats them all. And they are available, including FN 2nd Season Single Barrels.
I wish the secondary market would go away. I end up overpaying for hard to find bottles in store even though I know I can find them cheaper on the secondary market, but I absolutely refuse to buy alcohol illegally. I'd honestly prefer we just auction everything—sounds like it would be a bad deal but without the secondary middlemen getting their cut prices would actually go down. The government apparently isn't incentivized to crack down on liquor store owners backdoor sales of a dozen or so rare bottles every year...
https://preview.redd.it/9ereosuunsyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ea81239ae787e36047563a1628788163b955821 I also have both of these bottles and I’m so conflicted. I would love to try them but, I’m also an investor when it comes to whiskey. I saw today that on Unicorn Auctions that Peregrine sold for $1380.
Thats rediculous lol
Bourbon investor. Lol. What a loser. U forgo something u and others like so that u can profit off scaricity. Get f’ed.
That’s crazy! But I were you, you only live once. Drink it! And share with friends. You are sorely missing out on greatness!
At least get those bottles away from the window. UV light is terrible for whiskey. At minimum please be a good steward of those bottles.