Noble Oak Double Oak Rye

Warm to hot, caramel notes

Rye whiskey distilled in Indiana, finished with port wine oak staves. Age statement ❌ 50% abv or more ❌ Long finish ❌ $50 or less ✅ Buy again ❌

Product of USA is clearly marked, well it's distilled in INDIANA so yea, no false advertising so far. Noble Oak is reputedly double finished in a second port stave loaded cask, after a period in standard new charred American white oak. What this adds up to is some nice work done on some fairly average MGP rye. As most of you already know, MGP can produce some good stuff from time to time, this really feels like a little more of the middling stuff less cut and extra finished of course. The nose betrays the port red sugars and if any youngish or green characteristics exist, they are well hidden. I'm not gonna come right out and say this is a lot like Basil Haydens Dark Rye but it really is, so I guess I just did. That's actually a good thing in my book, as I'm a fan of the BH wine treated rye. There are just a bit of other nice sugar notes to go with the port, namely some brown sugarish candy, it almost does remind somewhat of "bit o honey". The finish is nice out the door style of just a little dill-rye spice burn, and nothing else, which seems "good enough". If this bottle comes in at around half the price of Basil Hayden Dark, which is admittedly better, it still has something to offer at a nice price. Largely a recommend depending on your penchant for finished rye's and your budget. Cheers!