Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Straight Rye 2022 Single Cask #8 (Lost Lantern)

Rating: 19/23 N: Surprisingly sweet, with some toasted marshmallow. Oily with ginger hints. Maybe a hint of mint too. A touch of minerality, but it doesn't detract from the oiliness and make this seem thin. A nice nose with a decadent vibe. P: This is oilier and less leathery than the prior Dad's Hat ryes I've tried. It has flavors of toasted marshmallow, candied orange peel, baking spices, mint (maybe spear mint? but in a good way), and some sort of other citrus that's more tart. Pomelo? Some licorice, but not of the same leathery variety that I associate with Dad's Hat. Maybe even a hint of maple. This is surprisingly smooth for this style of whiskey and proof. Not the most bold complexities to the profile, but there's some nuance here. This is more on the decadent side. F: Big oiliness. That toasted marshmallow carries through, with some more candied orange. Hints of spices of the baking variety. - Conclusion - Whiskey often struggles to incorporate adequate maturity without becoming inundated with bitter tannins. Dad's Hat, in my limited experience, doesn't suffer in this way. It's a leather bomb that is delightful on the right occasion (which is at least once per week). This amps up the oiliness, decreases the tannins (to the point that I wouldn't say this tastes especially leathery), and loses some of the brighter fruits and punchier flavors. There's perhaps a more refined quality to this. I like it a lot and I feel like for most whiskeys this move to greater refinement would be a big win, but I'm no so sure in this case. The thing is that I don't think Dad's Hat needs refinement. It really isn't lacking in any way. Would I like it better with more oiliness and toasted marshmallow? That sounds awesome, but maybe it wouldn't work out. To be absolutely clear though: this is stiff competition for Dad's Hat Rye Single Barrel Cask Strength (19/23). I'm not sure which I think is better. I love them both. I guess that puts this at a 19 as well. Coming back to this, the other Dad's Hat is drier and less smooth, but more interesting and leathery. This has the smooth, sweet, nutty, oily notes going for it. Honestly, I'm now liking the sweetness and richness here better than before. Its decadence is currently winning out over the other Dad's Hat. Eh, there's a nice hint of cognac to the other one. That's kind of winning out for me now. They're close. I think I need to go with a 19 for this. For the money, I'm thinking the other Dad's Hat is a better buy, but there's a really nice character to this that it just doesn't have, so I wouldn't take it over this entirely.