The Cabinet Barrel Proof American Whiskey (2022 Release)

Heavy rye nose with dill or oregano Palette: smooth vanilla and carmel, strong earthy backbone. Finish is medium length with some oak and more sweet vanilla.

Rating: 14/23 I've heard good things about Proof & Wood's 100 Seasons. Obviously, this is a much younger, more budget-friendly dram, but I'm still hoping that it will be a stand-out one. I just finished cutting and hauling some big hunks of wood, so this seems fitting to open now. The wax seal looks kind of cool, but geez, this one hard one to remove. The pull tab really isn't adequate here. I pulled and pulled, but eventually had to get a knife to cut the wax. Not affecting my rating, but just a thing I noted. N: A bitter, tart rye scent mixes with clean water. A layer of spices. Some bitter vanilla with a touch of black licorice. Significant minerality. Faint light caramel sweetness. P: This is fairly empty. It's the typical young (but not super young) whiskey problem. There are some nice notes that bring in some complexity, with rye herbs and spices mixed with vanilla being the primary profile. I get some apple as well as kettle corn and caramel corn. Hints of leather, but they're not that strong. F: Lingering kettle corn with vanilla and clean water. Licorice brings in bitter and herbal flavors. - Conclusion - This is fine enough, but I'm really underwhelmed. Toss it in the pile of boring sourced whiskey that is practically drowning the market. This certainly isn't bad, but it's not all that approachable or memorable. I'm thinking a 14 at the high end, but it's more likely a 12 and could be down to a 9. Coming back to this, it's definitely better than Red Line Experimental Barbados (13/23), but it isn't as rich and balanced as Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23). It's clearly a 14 or 15 then. Unfortunately, I'm leaning toward a 14. This is just too youthful.