Barrel no. 11144 | Barreled on 06/21/2011 I know decade-old whiskey isn't rare, but having an actual barrel-date on it put me into a bit of an existential/midlife crisis. But that's my journey. Also, I feel bad about buying a HH product in late 2021, but I am not super savvy about these things. The nose is lots of forest and meadow aromas, notably pine sap and mint, even if the mint more resembles a mint scratch-n-sniff than actual mint leaf. Plenty of rye bread and bitter carraway seeds. Some plastic bucket. An interesting sulfuric quality like broccoli or cabbage water: this was really unexpected but it's undeniable. Even with an ice cube, the burn is palpable. The first taste is sharp and bitter: star anise, black licorice candy, root beer barrels. Plenty more field stuff: bitter rye, dried corn, and something approximating actual mint leaf. The wood is pronounced at the swallow, with sawdust and lacquered oak. It's a very "prickly" rye: save that smooth sh-t for your Donny Hathaway records. The finish is oak, like the kind you'd find lining the moulding of a classy bar. Tobacco leaf. Fennel and bitter, puckery tannins. Dark chocolate, with a spicy cinnamon and chili powder kick. It's no wonder McKenna 10 has such a sterling reputation: it's got a ton of flavor, well beyond its proof. It's terrific straight-up, but can also hang in a bourbon-forward cocktail.