Wilderness Trail Settlers Select Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye

Nose - Vanilla, Butterscotch, Caramel, Apple, Peaches and cream, faint oak but almost like a french oak (even though it's American oak) Palate - very similar to the nose with the apple/peaches and cream leading the way with butterscotch punching in too. Creamy. Finish - medium, the creaminess is what carries it out

Barrel 16B21U 51.5% ABV 103 proof Copper color. The nose has bubble gum, allspice, ground cinnamon, honey, faint anise and green tea. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and hot. The palate has buckwheat honey, nutmeg, rye grass, spearmint leaf, cumin seed, and anise. The finish is long and dry, with raw cinnamon stick, fresh cut grass, and anise. Compares favorably with a Willett 4yr, but just a bit too much anise for me. Note: I tried this in a 50/50 bourye blend with the Wilderness Trail single barrel BiB bourbon and it is excellent. The bourbon seems to tame the spice of the rye, especially the anise note, while the baking spices shine and act to amplify the sweetness of the bourbon.

Caramel. Oak. Rye spice. Just an incredibly well balanced rye whiskey. Very faint cinnamon towards the end. I am quite impressed with this and am excited to see what Wilderness Trail does in the future.

Whiskey night tasting with friends - this was the winner among an assortment of various whiskeys across the gamut. Well balanced, good touch of rye spice, and the proof was nicely hidden. This particular barrel was 116 proof.

Honestly I only poured this up because it was sitting at a friends house and I saw how high the rating is on here. I will say this is worth a 4-4.25. From the crazy young age statement along with the interesting mash bill alone it’s worth it. Even if you aren’t a rye fan, give this a try. Worth retail for sure.