My favorite whiskeys are usually ones that have been around a while. The mainstays. Maker’s Mark. Jack Daniel’s. Johnnie Walker. I am generally skeptical of anything new and unlike many people my age, I have not embraced the craft beer/whiskey movement that has been sweeping through the world. However, I am always game for a different whiskey. Last month while in Pennsylvania, I picked up a small bottle of Tin Cup Whiskey to try.

As a history lover, I can definitely see the provenance in the design: mimicking what the miners would take with them when they needed a dram. It is said on the label that they would drink from a tin cup, and so this company has gone ahead and placed a small tin cup above the cap. I enjoyed opening the bottle, and seeing that there was an additional cork keeping it closed—the tin cap itself is not just for show, but functional as a shot glass.

Before putting any on the rocks, I poured some into the cap and slowly sipped. I waited for the burn. It never came. This high rye whiskey, bottled at 84 proof, was one of the smoothest whiskeys I have ever tasted in my life. I had wondered if that whole “we use Rocky Mountain water” thing was just a gimmick, but perhaps there is something to it? This whiskey did not need rocks. While I cannot say the flavor was intense, as a sipping whiskey, it cannot be beaten. It has a mild ginger aroma on the nose, while the palate becomes satiated by caramel and that spicy rye flavor you would expect.

At around $40 for a 750 ML bottle, the price point is a little too high for this to become a regular drink for me, but with my small bottle now long gone, I might save the purchase for a special occasion or to treat myself in the future. Aside from being an easy-to-drink whiskey and an apparent crowd pleasure, it will also serve as a conversation piece on your bar.