RD One Bourbon Double Finished in Oak and Maple Barrels

Was a bit disappointed after the first sip. But then you get a real rich creamy butterscotch and maple syrup taste that lingers really nicely. Takes a few seconds for it to hit but it’s good and not an overwhelming maple note that some maple finishes have. Just a hint of that pepper (like peppercorn pepper, not hot pepper) along with the butterscotch/ maple. I'm a big fan. Could have been 4.5 stars at a $30-40 range but dropped it to 3.75 at $60.

It isn't super sweet by any means. Instantly hotcakes is noticeable on the nose. Butterscotch. Oak. Something slightly green. The palate has a good amount of burn. There's maple but it isn't overpowering. Caramel. Fudge. More spice then a dark chocolate note at the the finish along with oak.

Maple.. very good flavor. Definantly a sipper. Tastes like an old fashioned

When you buy a bunch of new bottles on the way down to vacation, you try them on the cabin balcony in the middle of the woods, duh. I had previously been to this distillery sometime in the last 6-12 months, but they only had the WM. Tarr items, which were far too expensive for what they were. Having seen a few RD One bottles pop up in local liquor stores, I wanted to inquire more about what they were now offering, and since this was on the way to my vacation destination, I went to have my questions answered. I tried all offered RD One products, and learned that this particular finished bottle utilizes a long string of maple-sap-soaked French oak "chips" (which themselves were lightly toasted) that is many feet long, which terminates in a barrel bung, and is inserted for a couple months to finish the barrel. The lack of barrel transference is the first I've ever seen for any finished whiskey, other than the few distilleries that create products with wood pieces in the actual bottle, which themselves always end up being an unknown time for the finish. Still, this is a unique and productive way to introduce finishing flavors without overpowering the base spirit or upsetting the barrel "ecosystem." The color is that of a higher aged whiskey (think 8+ years), deep chestnut with some amber honey around the edges. This is a nice outcome, considering the real age is less than half of what is perceived, meaning the color came from the delicious maple sap and/or added finishing wood. An aggressive yet welcome ethanol meets the nose alongside the obvious maple, but with the classic notes of sweet corn and spicy rye from the base spirit outweighing the added sweet bomb. A hint of toast, lemon zest, and florality are also found, likely from the French oak, but repeated scents only work to awaken the sweet tooth response to all that fresh maple sap. The initial taste is fairly hot, with the high corn (over 70%, as I recall from asking) giving a natural sweetness to the base spirit, while the small amount of rye delivers a small yet potent spice through the tip of the tongue and the gums. The soft toast, citrus, and floral notes found on the nose from the French oak appear to be the dominate flavor through the middle, with the ethanol causing everything to grow into a shout as opposed to a whisper. The maple is present, but just enough to pull the natural taste from it without providing an added sweetness or sugary body. The finish is dry and hot, but after giving it some time, the maple and the soft French oak meld together into a balanced flavor note through to the end, despite it still being quite hot. This is a really great representation of what barrel finishing can and should be, as the added flavors are there just enough to change the base spirit and warrant selling a separate product, without overpowering anything or changing the base flavor altogether. Because all the notes are very loud due to the higher ABV, this is best used in a cocktail, and is worth every penny to showcase the difference between a maple barrel finish and some maple syrup simply added to the base of said cocktail. The distillery is absolutely worth a visit as well, as the customer service was extremely pleasant, and all questions asked were answered honestly, which is unfortunately a minority behavior for most modern-day distilleries. For example, I was told that the "double barrel finished" line in the title of this product was done as a marketing gimmick, since this never actually changed barrels at all, let alone used two different finishing barrels. The only difference between this and the French oak finished product is that the added French oak wood-chip-snake device was soaked in the maple sap for this product, but is still not really a "double" finish by any means. Side note: the barrels used are the classic 52 gallon size, which I appreciate as far as this method of finishing goes, as it allows the wood-snake to "swim" around more, as opposed to being cramped in smaller barrels just for the sake of higher surface area. As simple as RD One and their craft is, I can see great things coming from them in the next 5-10 years if they keep this up, especially if they ignore the flash and glitter of award chasing and instead putting out honest, delicious products like this.