Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Straight Rye Bottled in Bond

Don't sleep on the Dad's Hat Bottled-in-Bond. They are a local (to me) Pennsylvania rye whiskey and they've stepped up their game. The BiB is a 5-year product now, and it is tasty. The last time I tried this, it was only 4 years old. The extra year has added balance, smoothness, and mouthfeel while still retaining the distinct Pennsylvania (Monongahela) Rye character they are known for. The slight dilution cuts through a bit of the (nearly) overwhelming grass, pepper, and spice character of some of the fullproof single barrel releases to create a syrupy mouthful on a smooth brown-sugar syrup flavor base (if you've ever made simple syrup with light brown sugar, you'll know what I mean) with a punch of grass, pepper, and allspice. There is a faint earthiness. It reminds me SLIGHTLY of high quality rum with hints of almond, caramel, and dried apple. The only thing I want from this is a bit more fruit or floral to round it out, but it's hard to complain. There is simply NO BURN. I'll admit that it's a bit pricey for the quality at $56 compared to other products on the market from larger producers but maybe by only about $10-$15, which isn't a big deal I'm the long run to support a craft Distillery. I thought about adding a Luxardo cherry to my glass to see how it would round it out... But by the time I finished this review, my glass (with a top off) was long gone. C'est la vie. Next time, I will try it with orgeat syrup. I'll let you know how it goes

One of three for finishing 2nd in 2020 Bourbon Barrel fantasy football league. Strong taste on tongue but in a good way. Not much heat or linger

I can't.

2019 release, 5 years old Pours a clear golden orange color. Smells of rye bread, some floral notes, herbal mint, peppery spice, a touch of oak and vanilla, much more complex and rounded than the base offering. As I go, I get more and more oak aromas, which is definitely my jam. Taste hits those spicy rye notes hard, less of the floral or herbal notes, but they’re there, and the oak contributes some caramel and vanilla character too. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, it’s got that spicy bite to it, and at 100 proof, it’s got a kick of booze too. I’ve got a beer-attuned palate, so it’s a tad hot, but it’s not like one of them cask strength monsters. Overall, this is worlds above the standard 6 month expression and given the dearth of well aged rye on the market, I suspect this is actually one of the better examples available today. Perhaps a tad pricey, but even then, I think this is a competitive bottle. It’s very much its own thing, distinctively an unadulterated rye, and I look forward to seeing the age on these creep up in the coming years. I’m honestly enjoying this more than the more “barely legal” ryes (like Rittenhouse or Sazerac). Beer Nerd Musings: Because Dad’s Hat is local, several local breweries have played with Dad’s Hat barrels. Notably, for me, is Tired Hands, who have used old Dad’s Hat barrels for several of their beers. Those were using the standard 6 month offering though, and while both beers were fantastic, I’m not entirely sure how much the barrels contributed. I liked regular Only Void base beer better than the Rye Barrel Only Void. On the other hand, I enjoyed FatherBeast more than MotherAnimal, though there may be other factors at play there. Would really be curious to see someone use these 5 year BiB barrels at some point…

Rough but good