Peerless Kentucky Straight Rye (24 Months)

I want to hate this bottle. Aged 2 years and asking $100 a bottle, thats just stupid. All that said, it is an incredibly smooth sipper. Bravo to the distillery. I don’t think its worth $100, but as a gift, the gift receiver will not be disappointed.

I approached this whiskey with a heavy dose of skepticism given the juxtaposition of its high cost and low (2 year) age statement. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised and now count myself a Peerless convert. With a few minutes in the glass, the nose unfolds from an initial hit of ethanol into rich vanilla, dried apricots, orange oil, roasted peanuts, toffee, a light note of mint, and balanced with a bit of sweet coffee. The palate is immediately sweet and rich with vanilla, graham crackers, toasted sugars, allspice, a light grassy-herbal note, a very light caramel, honey roasted peanuts, and a very pleasant malty note, before transitioning to a warm, slightly herbal, vanilla-laden exhale. Further sips bring out more rich sweetness with a stronger note of dried apricots, powdered sugar, and an extremely pleasant bit of spice and fiery burn. Not a super complex whiskey, but an extremely pleasant and all around impressive offering from Peerless. I look forward to continuing to try their rye as it ages.