Rabbit Hole Cavehill Kentucky Straight Bourbon

I love me a good rabbit hole. I also dont understand how this whiskey earned its namesake. If i spend untold hours researching mash billls will I lose the respect of my friends and family? Because THATS how rabbit holes work. On a flat earth model AND the heliocentric model. In any case, I visited the website. Like the packaging its very glossy, classy, and bag of gassy. <<<-----( I went for the rhyme there and am not pleased with the result.) That is to say the website and Origin Tale has an abundance of flowery prose and lofty self-congratulations and though its well put together t seems to me to exist for the sole purpose of convincing you and me and themselves this belongs in that upper $60+ bourbon tier and while it makes a valiant effort, at the end of the day its all about the juice. This is a wheater. I applaud the experimental mashbill. i would even say its a great success. But though many hae tried and few have succeeded, the mark of an excellent bourbon is TIME. This has no age statement but I can tell its young. Too young. The flavor checks all the boxes. The mouthfeel is great. But it needs more time. And no amount of flowery language and elegant packaging will make up for it. Its good. Its not $60 good. You'd be better served grabbing a Makers Mark Cask Strength at that price,. But I see good things for this distillery down the road, and the lack of chill filtering deserves a tip of the cap.

Sweet grain, honey, and dry walnuts on the nose with light floral vanilla. Honey, sweet grain, and then oak and an explosion of spicy rye flavors (can't believe there is no rye in the mashbill!) builds in the mouth--spicy grass, pepper, mint and nettles make for a tingling mouthfeel that is rich and coating. Finish drops quickly from that spicy peak, moderating into port red fruit and sweet corn, but that spice tingle doesn't totally disappear. Rich, full, with a lot of complex (even contradictory) flavors spinning around that spicy central column. Had I not known, I'd swear this was a high rye bourbon finished in a red wine, sherry, or Port barrel. And I say that as a GOOD thing. With ice, that spicy core and finish dulls, and the flavor softens to reflect more closely the corn and malted barley mashbill... and its 2 year age. Still good, just less intense and bare-knuckled. Maybe more 4.25. It's a young bourbon, which may explain the spice (or "harshness") that other reviewers critique. Point taken, especially given the price point. But I'm still intrigued and willing to score it high for what's there. Imagine another 2 years (or more) in oak!!! Lots of built up expectations from the Distiller pro's review (partly why I bought this bottle), but this bourbon really lives up to that hype. Higher ABV is a plus too. Crystal glass or camping cup, this is a beautiful whiskey to be savored neat.

Initially, I wasn’t fond of the flavor, but as I worked my way down the bottle, it grew on me. There’s honey, orange marmalade, even a hint of strawberry sometimes, and rye spiciness, but there’s no rye in the mashbill. Starts somewhat sweet but finishes dry. A bit pricey for what it is. There are other bottles I’d rather buy for the money.