Copper Fox Original Rye Whiskey

Nose - smoked herbal notes, anise, clove, apple, dill, caramel, dry vanilla, mint, white pepper, black cherry, orange, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - bitter herbal notes, dill, rubber, anise, clove, black pepper, salted caramel, sour apple, spearmint, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with spearmint, anise, and bitter herbal flavors. Wow this is a weird rye. I’ve never tried anything like it. The nose is vegetal, herbal, and smoky. It’s akin to burning a pile of fresh cooking herbs. It’s rather dry and astringent, but some fruit can be found, somewhat along the lines of apple and black cherry with a touch of orange. The palate is equally jarring. Did they age this in a first-fill pickle barrel? Dill abounds. It’s also minty, salty, and maybe even rubbery or fishy. Who knows. I’m well into uncharted flavor territory. This is a difficult one to rate. There is a lot of complexity here, which adds to the intrigue. Though in the end, it’s a bit thin, bright, bitter, sour, and off in some unpleasant ways. Nonetheless, it’s really cool being able to try such a unique whiskey. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the sample!

Pepper, spice, char

Rating: X/23 Bottle kill. This has had too much oxygen. It's now kind of watery and bitter. Beyond that, there's smoke, bitter herbs, mineral, lemon, apple, cherry, mushroom. There's a lot of potential to this profile still, but it needed more time in the barrel and less time in an almost empty bottle.

Smoke carries the nose. Farmy smoke palate. Wood notes. I wasn't expecting the smoke, so it does overpower other flavors for me. The finish does linger with mild smoke and spice.