Hotel Tango Ready-To-Drink Triangle/Trail Inn SP

To have two distinct single barrel selections, within the same year, chosen by the same individual, vary THIS much in quality… That’s what they call a “feature”, not a “bug.” It’s what makes this enjoyable. The last single barrel selection I encountered was genuinely dreadful. Little to no redeeming characteristics. Leagues worse than the “standard issue.” This one competes with some of the finest red-wine finished bourbons available, and in many instances, it’s considerably less expensive. “2 Year Wheated Bourbon finished in red wine barrels for 9 months.” (RWB #002). Little known fact, when you add more zeros in front of the batch number, it enhances the quality of your whiskey by up to 36%. Nose presents cherries, syrup, grapes, vanilla. Oranges. Exceptional aroma. Body has almonds, more cherries. Grape juice. A touch of sweetness. Finish stings… impacts the chest deeply. The succulence is present. Quite dry. Brine. Salt. I perceive this finish more than I taste it, but if I had to identify a flavor, I’d say more cherry here. This is a superb red wine finish. It’s intense, and it’s a bit too aggressive on the backend. But it’s heartening to me that they managed to create something this excellent. It’s every bit as good as Jefferson’s Pritchard’s Hill, and I anticipate seeing more finished bourbons from HT in the future!

I'm surprised I hadn't written about this, as I've been savoring it for at least two years. It's not good, and that's disappointing to admit, given my respect for the distillery. The nose offers faint caramel, not very memorable. I feel like I can detect the glass itself as much as the liquid. The palate consists of peanuts, sugar, salt, and brine. It's remarkably salty. The finish brings notes of baking spices and yeast. This expression is underwhelming in every respect. I prefer the standard release significantly, which is contrary to how a store pick should perform. I believe they did a competent job making it palatable as a two-year-old when compared to other young spirits, but that's the only positive observation I can offer. It's a miss overall. As a side note, the legs on this spirit resemble a rain-repellent coating on my glass. I've never witnessed such a phenomenon in a whiskey before.