Old Overholt 10 Year Cask Strength Rye (2023 Release)

APPEARANCE: Classic look with old-fashioned label and a substantial, carved wooden-stoppered cork. Pours a pleasing hue between burnt umber and old oak into the tasting glass. NOSE: Intense and direct, with notes of a dusty old barn (weathered wood, hay, old oil, and tires). Hints of tart fruit, pipe tobacco, and cinnamon lie beneath. A generous dusting of finely ground black pepper covers it all. After some time, a subtle hint of soft pink bubblegum emerges. NEAT: Thick and clinging, with a lasting impression. Flavors of cooked apples, cinnamon, fall baking spice, and heavy (almost too heavy) oak tannins are present. A long finish of tart apple/cherry, oak, black pepper, and tart fruit coats the palate. A powerful Kentucky embrace reminds you of its 121 proof. SPLASH: The nose shows more pink bubblegum and a light floral note. The palate's oak becomes less tannic and more musty. It also reveals some herbal character, a hallmark of rye. VERDICT: I typically splurge on a special bottle with my holiday bonus, and this year it was this one. I enjoyed it, but the $99 price brought the score down a bit. Had it not been the holidays, I would have definitely skipped it. I think it's worth more like $60-$70. I'll enjoy it, but I'll likely skip future releases, especially if another attractive bottle catches my eye during the holidays.

A very pleasing aroma with notes of caramel flan, charred oak, white pepper, rye cracker, cherry, hazelnut, earthy cellar, and Tupelo honey. The ethanol is very low considering the proof. The complex taste delivers creme brûlée, brown sugar, allspice, a slightly bitter oak, black pepper, white grape, hay, and vanilla. The flavors are rich and bold. The spice slightly overshadows the other components. The finish presents citrus peel, white pepper, tobacco, clove, chili pepper, cola, and nutmeg. A hint of spearmint lingers after everything else fades. The finish is on the shorter side of medium, but it's a small imperfection. The mouthfeel is slick and oily without any graininess, which effectively moderates the sharper notes. As a rye, it's good, but as a whiskey, it's nearly outstanding. It resembles a high-rye bourbon more than a traditional rye, but this does not diminish its quality in any way. For the $109 I paid, I have absolutely no regrets, and it's close to being a repeat purchase.

NEAT NOSE - Brown Sugar, Caramel, Honey, Vanilla, Oak, Herbal Tea and Citrus. The citrus leans more towards orange than lemon. PALATE - Thick, viscous, and chewy. Amazing mouthfeel. The palate is full of brown sugar, honey, and caramel, but the notes are dark and dense. Nothing 'bright' about this pour; it's dark and rich. Incredibly complex. FINISH - Oak and vanilla are distinct on the finish. The finish is long, but the vanilla dissipates before the oak, leaving the finish more 'tannic' but not unpleasantly so. BUY? - Absolutely. This is a great pour at a great price, considering its age. BUY AGAIN? - I would purchase this again. I should probably get another bottle before they are gone. Many people are overlooking these; don't be one of them. I am eagerly anticipating the 11-year-old release later this year.

Possesses the classic Beam notes of nuts, spices, toffee apples, butterscotch, cinnamon, and even some characteristics of dusty brown wax-covered books. The rating is influenced by other drams tasted before and after. Nose: Green Toffee Apples, Peanuts, Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Brown Butter, Tobacco Palate: Peanuts, Caramel, Butterscotch, Apricots, Toasted Vanilla, Walnuts, Cinnamon, Morello Cherries, Brown Sugar, Brown Butter, Hazelnuts Finish: Cinnamon, Spearmint, Green Apples, Root Beer, Butterscotch, Baked Red Apples

Aroma: cherry syrup, almond jello, vanilla, rye spice. I wish it were a bit stronger. Taste: oak, Jim Beam peanut, rye spice in the finish. Three flavors that harmonize exceptionally well. Layers of pepper and cinnamon. Finish: more oak, cherry cola, rye spice. Medium intensity. I wish the aroma and finish had slightly more intensity, but the palate is flawless. 8 on the t8ke scale.

The aroma reflects its proof, but the palate is more pleasing, delivering notes of toasted oak vanillin and some brown sugar alongside a distinct rye spice foundation. This is my third pour in a tasting flight, so some nuances are hard to recall as they seem to blend into typical rye characteristics, but it's my preferred of the three ryes in the flight.