Tastes

At 64.08% ABV, this little beauty packs a hell of a punch. Aged for 4.5 years, the “Cherry Bomb” is one of the more mature offerings from Painted Stave Distilling in Smyrna, DE. Once I push past the heat on the nose, there’s brown sugar and definite cherry (as the name suggests). The heat continues into the palate where it opens up into the expected rye pepper and spice, but there’s a creamy mouth feel that mutes the harsher anise notes. The finish is long and hot with dark cocoa and a sharp bite. A few drops of water added takes me on a more relaxing journey of caramel, ginger bread, and pepper. A really great “experimental” release from Painted Stave.