Tastes

This is a very unique rye...it almost tastes like a wheated rye, with underlying soft sweet cereal notes that you typically get from a wheated bourbon. I really like this stuff, wish it was easier to find!

This only the 2nd 5-star rating that I've ever given, the other ironically going to another Texas whiskey (Garrison Cowboy). This is one of my favorite whiskies of all time, and every time I go back to it I fall in love with it all over again. It's bold and brash, while also being subtle and sweet, with flavors which attack your palate at first and then gently linger on forever. The one note that hooks me the most is a flavor that I get from a lot of French Oak aged/finished whiskey, and that is a very subtle "creamsicle" (orange-vanilla) on the mid palate which takes just enough off the otherwise rough edges to created an absolutely perfect balance of brawn & beauty. This is one of the finest whiskies ever made IMHO, you need to grab it if you ever happen to stumble upon it.

I'm posting my tasting notes from the regular Duality Double Malt, with the score bumped up from a 4.25 to 4.5 for the cask strength. This is without question one of the most unique bottles I've purchased in a long time! In a world of whiskey where so many bottles can taste very similar to so many others, it's a refreshing change to find one that doesn't taste similar to ANYTHING that I have ever had before. After the fist sip, hell even the second and third sip, you're stuck sitting there trying to figure out exactly what it is that you're drinking. At first you get the classic smokey notes of malted barley, but then those are taken over by the malted rye with notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and coffee. And the finish lingers on for several minutes, leaving your palate to ponder what it just experienced. I killed the entire bottle inside of a week, which is extremely unusual for me since I rarely drink from the same bottle twice in a week. But it's just that good, and extremely unique and interesting!

This is without question one of the most unique bottles I've purchased in a long time! In a world of whiskey where so many bottles can taste very similar to so many others, it's a refreshing change to find one that doesn't taste similar to ANYTHING that I have ever had before. After the fist sip, hell even the second and third sip, you're stuck sitting there trying to figure out exactly what it is that you're drinking. At first you get the classic smokey notes of malted barley, but then those are taken over by the malted rye with notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and coffee. And the finish lingers on for several minutes, leaving your palate to ponder what it just experienced. I killed the entire bottle inside of a week, which is extremely unusual for me since I rarely drink from the same bottle twice in a week. But it's just that good, and extremely unique and interesting!

I tasted this whiskey blind, along with 149 other whiskeys over the course of a year, and this one scored the highest overall. It beat out bottles like Stagg Jr (B15), Garrison Balmorhea, Booker's Pigskin, Angels Envy Cask Strength, Remus Repeal, Doc Swinson's 15yr, and a bunch of other much more expensive and outstanding bourbons. The only thing even slightly lacking with this one is the nose, it's a little one-dimensional. But other than that, it's just about the perfect bourbon in my opinion. Amazing depth with layers of classic bourbon flavors like caramel, vanilla, cherry, barrel spice, shaved dark chocolate, and a delicious creamy smooth finish that coats your palate and hangs on forever. It drinks dangerously easy for 120 proof. So. Damn. Good.

Well there it is. My first perfect 5 star rating on Distiller! I wish I could give more detailed tasting notes, but my sense of taste is still dulled from covid a few weeks ago. I'll post an update in a few weeks once it's back to normal, but for now I'll just say this is one of the best bourbons I've ever had.

WOW! This stuff is outstanding. Very dark amber color, almost with a hint of orange to it, viscous with legs that stick to the glass and slowly run down like syrup. Dark chocolate, vanilla, oak spice, with a candied-cherry sweetness that lingers on the finish. Drinks surprisingly easy for 120 proof. Very close to a perfect 5 bourbon for me!

I was really disappointed with this one. After thoroughly enjoying the Templeton Caribbean Rum Cask, and being a big fan of the Angel's Envy Rye - both of which are rum-finished MGP 95/5 rye, I figured I'd give this one a shot to see how it compares. In a word, it doesn't. The rum finish is almost non-existent, it just tastes like young MGP rye with a very faint hint of tropical notes at the tail end of the finish. Definitely not worth the 115% premium ($58 vs $27) over a standard bottle of Redemption Rye. You'd be better off just mixing a splash of rum into a glass of your favorite rye. UPDATE: After doing some digging I found out this is 2yr old rye finished for just 3 months in rum casks, no wonder it tastes so young and has very little influence from the rum casks. In comparison, the Templeton is 6yr rye finished for 6 months, and Angel's Envy Rye is 6-7 years old and finished for 18 months. The AE is definitely the best of the bunch, but the Templeton is a very close 2nd and a great value at nearly 1/2 the price of the AE.

I'm a fan! It's a unique whiskey with a unique story, and a lot of unique flavor layers. You definitely notice the wine and beer notes from the finishing barrels, the latter lingering on the palate through the entire finish. But what is lacking are your typical aggressive rye notes. It's an easy drinking friendly rye, which takes your taste buds on an unexpected adventure which is worthy of the cross-country backstory. If you like something different and interesting, definitely give this one a shot!