Found North Cask Strength Rye Whisky

This bottling, Batch 003, is a blend of five whiskies: an 18-year rye finished in ex-tequila barrels, an 18-year rye from ex-Speyside scotch casks, a 21-year corn in used American oak, a 17-year rye in Hungarian oak, and a 25-year corn also in Hungarian oak. It was bottled at 55.1% ABV with a mash bill of 64% rye, 32% corn, and 4% malted barley. Let's explore its character. The nose initially presents lime juice over grilled vegetables like portobellos and asparagus, quickly shifting to a mix of blood orange frosting, tropical fruits, and candied fennel. This is followed by freshly baked pumpernickel bread, lemon meringues, ruby red grapefruit, and cinnamon caramel apples. It then transitions to a light minerality, black pepper, and pine-covered forest floors, accompanied by a strong ethanol presence. The taste has a medium body, beginning with lime zest on grilled portobellos and asparagus. It then evolves into creamy, sweet tropical fruits, followed by a moderate sour and bitter spice. This gives way to butterscotch candy, blood orange soda, and wintergreen gum, then fresh pumpernickel bread. Notes of lemon meringue, ruby red grapefruit, and sour apple candy appear, leading to a finish with light minerality, black pepper, and pine-covered forest floors, and a noticeable ethanol burn. The finish is of medium length, featuring charred pine cones, grilled asparagus, portobello mushrooms, canned pineapple, Granny Smith apple peel, candied ginger, spearmint, and smoked butterscotch caramel. Overall, this is a complex rye that merges vegetal notes from tequila with earthy rye, creamy sweetness, tropical fruits, and tart citrus. However, it leans too heavily on bitter, earthy notes for my preference, and I wish the earthiness was reduced to let more of the fruit flavors emerge. Compared to Batch 1, the flavors are quite similar, but the tequila cask imparts intriguing smoky and vegetal qualities. These tequila notes also amplify the bitterness, masking some of the fruit found in Batch 1, and it feels less harmonious. Considering its $135 price, I personally don't find the value proposition compelling, as there are superior rye options available for less money.

This batch is fantastic, presenting flavors of mint chocolate, cinnamon, molasses, brown sugar, ginger, and candied oranges. The nose offers cinnamon, cloves, red apples, brown sugar, pecans, toasted marshmallows, anise, and mint chocolate. The palate delivers cinnamon, root beer, cherry cola, cloves, molasses, stewed red apples, walnuts, peaches, apple strudels, dates, ginger, candied oranges, and Christmas cakes. The finish is characterized by cinnamon, mint chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, cloves, Makuna honey, candied ginger, and candied oranges.

Remarkably spicy and smooth

Lingering, spicy, and a lengthy conclusion.

Very smooth just light