The standard Double Rye 46% is a blend of column & pot-still whiskies, a 2yo and a sweeter 16yo* made with a higher proportion of corn. Mash Bill: Straight Rye whiskeys: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP; 80% Rye, 20% Malted Rye from High West. This particular bottling has been finished in Moscatel casks for 1 year
Appearance: Tizer orange/vibrant autumnal leaves. For me, at least, a solid film with no legs, beads or teardrops. Just that flawless film for an age. Eventually, a few teardrops do form and the tide mark very slowly beads a little.
Nose: Lively! All the classic bourbon aromas are there (cherry in spades, oak, corn, vanilla and honey) together with a zing of sharp berry sweetness. The ABV is really well balanced too, slightly more apparent than the standard, but not in any way overpowering or intrusive. The oak and more dusty leather notes emerge and grow as the glass matures, adding more layers to this bourbon. The more meaty, ham-flavoured crisps flavour wafts into the nose after a time too.
Sweet spices arrive after acclimatising to the sweeter notes, in the form of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Palate: A semi-viscous mouthfeel. Ooh, that’s a lovely fruity palate for a bourbon. Orange chocolate and those sweet spices warm the chest nicely, that ‘Kentucky Hug’! A touch drying and then confectionary sweetness and a touch of tropical Bubblicious.
The spices grow the most as the whiskey is consumed, it’s a nice balance of flavours.
Finish: Medium in length. The orange chocolate and spices linger the longest.
Overall: It’s a really interesting and pleasing variation of the standard whiskey. The Moscatel finish has definitely added a heap of sweetness and this marries well with the rye spice and higher ABV punch. It’s a little thin but that’s not the end of the world.
*Starting in 2018, the company started to substitute the 16-year sourced whiskey with the company’s own distillate that is aged up to 7 years. I believe this bottle is pre-2018 but I cannot be 100% sure
