I’ve been an avid fan of these Penderyn single cask US releases which are expensive for their age, but are worth it due to their intense rich flavors and have bought almost every one so far with only one being slightly above average but still rather enjoyable. So, here’s hoping this one that was aged in an ex-bourbon cask for 4 years before being transferred to an ex-ruby port cask for 8 years and bottled at a healthy 60.38% is the best release yet. On the nose, you’re assaulted by a bitter rampage that starts with pomegranate seeds, bitter melon, grapefruit and orange pith then comes some slight relief with vanilla cream before herbal notes along with light barrel spices and high ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel and continuation of the nose that can only be described as a bitter napalm taste bud torture/truth telling formula starting with pomegranate seeds, bitter melon, grapefruit and orange pith then comes some slight relief of vanilla cream before herbal notes that turns extra bitter and spicy mid-palate that lingers with high ethanol burn finishing medium length with vanilla cupcake, bitter melon, sautéed radishes, pomegranate seeds, high spice and mélange of fruit pith. This whiskey is an assault on the senses, excluding only the visualization aspect of its ruby color that tastes like an everclear fruit punch with fruit peels and jalapeno peppers that aged in a cask for 12 months basking in the Texas summer sun before finally being served. The cask selections must have been exceptionally horrid if this was the best choice, as this might have a future as the most expensive Drano I’ve purchased and is a surprise occasion to pull out the upchuck scale reserved for swill. With this being an expensive bottle of swill, I’m going to be giving this 2 cash and 2 upchucking emojis to create the expensive swill indicator. 💰🤮💰🤮