Tastes

Sweet grain corn cereal, sugar, and fruit sweetness on the nose. In the mouth, charred oak, leather, dried fruit, and burnt sugar. Has that classic OF essence: dry, tannic, and smokey. Spicy rye builds at the end and through a medium-long finish. A little sourness lingers. A solid bourbon with a little higher ABV that makes it good for mixing classic cocktails.

Nice golden hue and averages legs coating the glass. Nose is cereal grain and light brown sugar. Corn syrup, cereal grain, vanilla oak, a little tannic char in the mouth. Dry, some spice, and a hint of ethanol in a short-ish finish. Sour lingers. For $18, it's a very (really!) serviceable 90 proof bourbon aged 6-8 years(?) maybe. But... I'm missing the hype of the Distiller reviewer on this one.

Nose is sweet light brown sugar and grain. Thin sweet corn syrup, grain, and an ethanol burst in the mouth. A hint of vanilla oak, light mint, and baking spice, but that disappears rapidly in a short fast finish. There and gone. Surprising how thin it tastes given pretty good coating legs in the glass. Meh.

Burnt orange in color and good coating legs in the glass. Toasted bread, cereal grain, and dark honey on the nose. Charred oak and brunt sugar, dry spices, pepper, and a little astringent ethanol in the mouth. Feels dry and dusty, kinda thin and one dimensional in the mouth at first blush, but then the grassy minty rye spices begin to build and shine over a looong finish. That's worth waiting for. Add a single ice cube and the profile opens up with more dark chocolate bitter-sweetness without greatly shortening that grassy rye spice finish. At 56+% ABV it's got enough punch to stand up in a cocktail like a Manhattan or mixed with amaro. More later. Rated 5th most exciting whiskey of 2020 by Whisky Advocate.

Burnt orange hue, medium legs. Light brown sugar and citrus nose with some/little ethanol. Leather and dry oak, burnt brown sugar and scorched grain, with a little ethanol in the mouth. Sweet and yet tannic, coating mouthfeel. Initial taste felt thin/light, but that filled and rounded nicely after a few healthy sips. Finish is a big dry and spicy rye flash that lingers a long time. Bang! That's worth the price of admission right there. No one-note sweet bourbon in the mouth, nor sour off flavors in the aftertaste. Have tasted the full proof and single barrel 1792 products with positive regard in the past. At $30 this is a great entry point for the brand, well worth a try. The high rye content and spicy finish cut through the sweetness and do it for me.

This is the third bottle of the four Rabbit Hole standard issues I've tasted. Not a fan of the bottle--awkward, heavy, and over-produced at extra cost that isn't about the juice. It's also the second of three RH bottles that doesnt sit perfectly flat--a tall, heavy, rectangular bottle that rocks on the table makes me nervous. Rye color is golden rosy, medium legs in the glass. Says "matured over three years" in new #3 charred oak barrels. A healthy 47.5% ABV which is perfect for a 95% rye mashbill to sip or mix in a classic cocktail. Oak char, leather, sweet and grassy grain on the nose. A little spice, not overpowering. In the mouth it blows up nicely. Char smoke, tannic, with a little ethanol and astringency. Sweetness shows up arm in arm with spicy rye, pepper, mint, and dry sweetgrass. Blends nicely. Good medium finish where the tingle lingers but so does the sweetness--no dry sour flavors. I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I am given the young age and some of the reviews. More char flavor than many ryes, but also a lot of sweetness from the 5% malted barley. Will revisit this with an ice cube and mixed later.

Lagavulin 16 has been my favorite Islay single malt whisky for decades. Sure, there are lots of other great scotches, but this just ticked off all the boxes for me: smokey, salty, peat and sweet/sour grain, not overpowering, just the flavor sweet spot. And now this Distillers Edition kicks it up a notch. Distilled 2006, bottled 2021, batch number lgv.4/510, 43% ABV, $110 (15 bucks more than the Lag16 here in Utah). Double-matured in ex-bodega Pedro Ximenez sherry cask wood. Nose is sweet raisins and malt, with a wiff of smoke. Sherry, raisins, and oak tannins, malted grain and salt in the mouth. A little ethanol burst. Color is a little rosier than the 16, but not far off. Average legs coating the glass. The finish is smoke, oak, and light peat, sweet but a spicy finish lingers, leaving a tingle softened by sweet fruit. I'm a fan of port and sherry casked whisk[e]y. I find them round and sometimes more interesting in adding another flavor profile to grain and vanilla oak--their fruit forward quality. This is one of those, well worth the modest cost bump from the regular 16 year whisky. A new top shelf favorite.

Sweet grain and honey on the nose, with a little sweet grass in the background. In the mouth, rye spice, honey, and big vanilla with tannic oak explode within the ethanol heat. More spicy than I expected from the Distiller Reviewer and from the nose, but definitely on the sweeter rye side (especially for a 95% rye mashbill). Average legs and medium mouthfeel with a nice orange-brown color in the glass. That sweet explosion fades quickly, leaving dry astringent barrel char and slightly sour flavors. Kinda nixes it for a sipper. Priced right for a mixing rye, but sweeter than spicier. The 90 proof will help it stand up in cocktails.