It's not unusual for celebrities to diversify their portfolios and leverage their fame by getting into the spirits business. Diddy Combs, Sammy Hagar, Justin Timberlake and George Clooney have all invested in tequilas, Dan Aykroyd has a vodka, David Beckham is associated with a single-malt Scotch whisky, and innumerable celebs are involved in various wineries. This is not even to mention the former teen brother heartthrobs who have released a beer named “MmmHop.” Well, I guess now I have mentioned it. Sorry about that.
So it’s not a shocker to discover that Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line have come up with their own spirit line with Old Camp Peach Pecan Whiskey. Launching the product with splashy media events in Nashville and New York, the raging hot duo are following in the boot steps of fellow country artist Toby Keith, who released his own brand of mezcal a few years back.
But a peach and pecan whiskey? There are those who complain that flavored whiskeys are an abomination unto real bourbons and a waste of perfectly good brown liquor. I’ve heard the complaint that every fifth of cherry-flavored Jim Beam Red Stag that is sold represents the loss of 745 ml of whiskey that might have been aged and eventually transformed into something remarkable. Just a guess, but I imagine the base spirit for Fireball isn’t the same stuff that they use to make Pappy Van WInkle.
So let me take off my liquor snob hat and tell you about Old Camp. It’s actually pretty tasty. Hubbard and Kelley worked through many iterations of recipes to come up with a nice balance of peach and pecan that doesn’t completely overpower the whiskey, but is certainly the forefront of the flavors. While you won’t mistake the essence of peach with a mason jar of Georgia peaches infusing in good whiskey, neither additive tastes overly artificial.
At 70 proof, the spirit is not at all harsh and a little bit thin on the tongue. I would compare it with the balance of flavor and consistency of mouthfeel of Wild Turkey’s American Honey, a bit of a novelty spirit itself, which is nonetheless quite popular in my household. Especially during the cold and flu season when we use it as both a digestif and throat analgesic.
Would I pour Old Camp at a fine bourbon tasting? Probably not. Would I pass around a bottle at a tailgate party or in a duck blind? Sure. Whiskey doesn’t always have to be so darned serious that you can’t share it with friends who don’t necessarily consider themselves collectors or experts. Pour yourself two fingers and “Cruise” with FGL.
