Catoctin Creek Hot Honey Rye

The aroma begins with a burst of butter, honey, and toasted wheat. The honey and butter carry over to the first taste, quickly supplanting the wheat toast with a rye bread character. The taste is the highlight of this spirit, presenting a flawless combination that evokes a warm, buttered piece of toast in the morning, naturally sweetened with honey. Following this enjoyable taste, the finish is bold with cinnamon and rye, but its brevity prevents the minty conclusion from lingering too long. In summary, a robust, sweet, and spicy whiskey with natural flavoring, offering a welcome departure from the artificial, syrupy tastes found in most widely available flavored whiskeys.

Quick review from Virginia Spirits Expo: Honey finishes are very popular now, but Catoctin claims to be the first Hot Honey Rye. This finished whiskey is made with a mix of three Virginia honeys and chili peppers. Honey is prominent on the nose and taste, but the peppers appear in the finish. It's more like a Nashville hot chicken than spicy hot wings – a pleasant peppery but not fiery finish. While this is certainly distinctive, it's not something I'd regularly sip.