OVERVIEW:
This is an extremely cool and unique rye whiskey. Distilled and aged by Bardstown Bourbon Company, this mashbill currently only exists on the market as a contract-distilled mashbill for Nelson Green Brier, which is blended and bottled at 92.5 proof in Nelson Green Brier's shelf rye whiskey. To get a barrel at cask strength with 7.5 years of age is something special, and this whiskey delivers. This is Kentucky rye presented in a top-tier way (and in blind tastings for nearly a dozen people now, this has yet to lose to any year of Thomas H Handy that it's been paired up against).
BARREL DETAILS:
- Mashbill: 64% rye, 30% corn, 6% malted barley
- Age: 7.5 years
- Proof: 123.4 proof
- State: Kentucky
TASTING NOTES:
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NOSE: Big homemade vanilla ice cream vibes are at the forefront along with a healthy dose of caramel. Behind those predominant notes are a beautiful candied orange and a slight bit of sugared spearmint gum dust, the latter being the only real clue that this is a rye—it's very much a bourbon drinker's rye. Faint sweet oak rounds things out.
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PALATE: The nose tracks to the palate perfectly with big, bold, rich, dense sweetness. The vanilla and caramel are still at the forefront, but the citrus and sugared spearmint notes equal their intensity on the palate with a Pop Rocks sensation on the back of the tongue into the finish.
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EXPERIENCE: This is a monster of a bottle in the very best way possible. The sweetness, spice, and oak are all present and balanced beautifully. The Pop Rocks sensation on the back of the palate builds into a big finish that lasts for a very long time. The mouthfeel is a great mix of being moderately oily and coating initially before the weight of the finish sets in heavy on the back palate and into a firm Kentucky hug.
The only bad thing about this whiskey is that there isn't more available, but therein lies the beauty. We hope you enjoy this one half as much as we do. Cheers!
