WhistlePig Old World Cask Finish Rye 12 Year

$130 Sweet and floral and fruit notes on the nose, quite pleasant. Just the right amount of spice if you're not looking for a lot. Actually tastes a little like some scotches I have so it has hints of smoke and peat on the palate along with raisins. At least that's what I got from my bottle even though I'm not sure how that's possible. Finish is real nice and you get those port wine in there for a good bit. Good drink especially if you like scotch IMO, but not my favorite.

Sad to say, I did not find much to enjoy in this thinner, older version of Whistlepig, which blends together rye aged in Madeira, Sauternes, and Port. The mixture of finishes sounded pretty impressive to me and I was expecting an explosion of complex flavors. Instead, the immediate and dominant aroma was an antiseptic or cleaning alcohol scent, unexpected given the low proof, and then a dilute mixture of brown sugar and wood. There is a rich, underlying roast grain accompanying each sip, along with some mild honeydew, but that was about it. That being said, the finish was better than the 10, with a nice, lingering mixture of sweet and spicy. This costs $130 around here, but I would have thrown up if I'd paid that price for this rye. I'm wondering what's up here. This came to me courtesy of a sample from a friend, so it's possible that this was just an overoxidized, end-of-the-bottle pour or that the sample bottle wasn't adequately cleaned. I just cannot believe this rye is this mediocre. I'm cautiously providing this score for now, but may try to get another sample and try again later.