Tastes

Fresh crack first pour Nose: Surprisingly no stringent alcohol despite it being a neck pour. Instead you’re met with a pleasant rush of charred oak, burnt caramel, and grapes. As it rests, notes of cinnamon, black pepper, and other spices start to come through. Extremely (and contently) surprised with the introduction this bottle gives so far. Palate: (after letting it breathe for 30min) This definitely drinks like a high-rye bourbon. Oak and spices smack you in the face with trailing notes of caramel. As you keep sipping the intensity of the spices mellow out and the caramel becomes more prevalent. It’s not very complex, but it doesn’t need to be. The finish is longer than I expected and quite dry. I have to say that this bottle exceeded my expectations. I went in expecting a very mediocre, young bourbon. But what I got was a very smooth and spicy experience. Would I go out and recommend this bottle to everyone I know? Not quite. But if you’re looking to support a local distillery and snag a good bottle in the process, this is it.

Nose: Vanilla and caramel bomb with hints of ethanol and oak. The ethanol wanes after a couple minutes as the vanilla, caramel (Werthers hard candy), and oak grow ever stronger. With more time apricots dominate the foreground along with a bouquet of other dried fruits. Palate: Oak, cinnamon, caramel and vanilla explode on the palate. Much more spice and oak than the nose gave off. Finish: The finish is long and turns somewhat dry and bitter. I like it, especially at its MSRP, but I’m not blown away. Definitely better than MM’s normal offering but I’m glad I didn’t have to try very hard to snag a bottle. Edit 08/21/2023: I just recently came back to this bottle and have to up my score from 3.5 to 4.0. Upon returning I was met with one of the most pleasant aromas of burnt caramel I’ve ever experienced. Notes on the palate mirror this alluring smell. The notes described above are all still present, but theres now this very dominant burnt caramel that I have fallen in love with. If you’re like me and was underwhelmed at first, let your bottle sit for a month and come back to it - you won’t be sorry.

Was not a huge fan of this when I first cracked it, however after a couple of months this bottle is FANTASTIC. So rich and full bodied, every sip coats your tongue with caramel and vanilla. The sweetness is perfectly balanced out with notes of oak and pepper(?). Again, just fantastic. If you happen upon a bottle, please do yourself a favor and buy two. Everytime i enjoy a pour I kick myself for not grabbing a backup.

Nose: Surprisingly sweet with hints of pepper and ethanol. As it opens up, The sweetness expands to strong notes of fruits (cherries), vanilla, and almost freshly baked sweet rolls (akin to what I experienced with Bernheim). For a rye I am shocked I am getting this much sweetness. Palate: Exacrly like the nose. Sweet and spicy - cherries and fruits take the front stage but are pushed back by some rye spice. The sweetness creeps back in with vanilla and that sweet roll note and fights with the rye spice on a surprisingly long finish. As a pour - this is phenomenal - especially at its price point of 29.99. With that said, as a rye it falls very flat for me. It needs more spice to live up to the eyes of legend - like Heaven Hill’s Pikesville. All in all this is a bottle I will always have on my shelf and for good reason.