Pinhook Bourbon Country

Castle & Key's Pinhook. This one is called "Bourbon Country," named after a racehorse. That seems to be how they name all of their releases. I don't know much about these guys, so I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. This is from Crop: Fall 2018. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and some carrot cake. Gala apple and graham cracker. Heavy spice and oak. Cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and allspice. Even some dill. Nothing unusual, but it's a solid nose. Palate: More caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar, now accompanied by milk chocolate and toffee. Cherry and apple, both red and green. Allspice, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Caramel and vanilla precede a wave of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and oak. Medium-long finish. Damn good whiskey. The internet says this is MGP distillate. No surprise there. But it looks like these guys have already been doing some distilling of their own. I'm on board with this one. If you're a gambler, hedge your bets on this horse. I think Castle & Key will be making some fantastic whiskey in the near future, based on the quality of this one. As it is, at $32, this a great value. If you're a bourbon drinker looking for a change of pace, I recommend this one.

A little more harsh taste than expected

Fruit and sweet. A hint of vanilla. Some bite to it for sure. It’s age shows.