Pinhook Bourbon N Rye

EDIT: 2/21/18 Wow... it has evolved. Still lively, but the youthful edge has softened into late spring fruits, herbs, morning dew, and fresh blossoms! The mouthfeel feels richer somehow. The blend of spice, herb, and floral with sweet baked honey cornbread is spot on, with both elements delivering impactful flavors. This is a successful rye right here. If you enjoy Pikesville, you'll likely appreciate this, though expect more botanicals and less of the HH nutty yeast character. Pinhook Bourbon N Rye Straight Rye Whiskey 93.5 proof, Lot 001 2/15/18 Freshly cracked wax seal. Will be interesting to sample again in a month. Aroma: Tarnished gold color. Small droplets create thin legs that dissipate Nose: Caramel corn and freshly baked honey cornbread, sweet, with hints of honey, corn, and warm toastiness. As it airs, the rye grain spice emerges. Palate: Super light! Reminiscent of apple juice. This must be a young spirit. Initially, it has a pleasant grainy quality. The oaky oils give a resinous, sappy sensation and flavor, with an almost pine-like tang. The fruit notes are a variety of fresh apples, estery. The profile transitions into more typical rye characteristics, bringing marjoram, thyme, and caraway to the forefront. Finish: The finish is the lingering herbal bitterness of the marjoram, thyme, and caraway notes. It's reminiscent of having chewed a bishop's weed seed (carom seed). Not precisely short, but it's solely the lingering of those final flavor notes, direct. Overall: Nothing exceedingly complex, but there are sufficient notes to make it engaging, and I'd prefer it as a daily rye over baby Saz and Bulleit... but not over Rittenhouse.

Pinhook is Castle & Key's sourced whiskey. This follows my tasting of Bourbon Country (a bourbon). That previous one was solid. It's definitely worth trying one of their rye batches, so let's evaluate this one. Nose: Rye bread. Black pepper. Pistachio and mint chocolate. Vanilla and walnut. Apple and cinnamon (reminiscent of Apple Jacks cereal.) Strong rye spice, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Rye spice and dill. Rye bread. Gala apple. Fudge. Again, apple and cinnamon notes like Apple Jacks cereal. The pistachio and mint chocolate notes have faded to the background, joined by caramel and vanilla. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak are also present. Finish: Pistachio, walnut, and almond. Mint chocolate and vanilla Gala apple, leading to a Cinnamon Apple Jack's flavor profile—once more. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. The long finish surpasses my expectations for a whiskey at 46.75% ABV. This is a success. The nose, palate, and finish all receive high marks. The value for money is even more significant considering I paid only $35 for it. I'm very impressed, and some of the flavor notes are exceptionally distinctive, adding to its allure. This expression surpasses the Bourbon Country batch (Castle & Key's bourbon release from the same period) by a considerable margin. Score: 4.25/5.

I can't seem to put this whiskey down. It's incredibly refreshing in a world that favors smoke, tobacco, and char. This whiskey stands apart. The aroma is sweet and perfume-forward, yet carries a persistent scent of young wood/fruit wood. Anyone who has used apple/cherry wood for smoking or grilling will recognize the smell. On the palate, there's a very distinct crisp and lemony sensation. While most ryes deliver a powerful peppery punch, this one is much milder. It has an almost herbal quality to the pepper notes. Similar to fresh arugula. The finish is my favorite aspect. It offers a cooling, menthol-like sensation with hardly any pepper notes. It is very revitalizing. This is an astonishingly scarce whiskey that pairs wonderfully with any white fish or lighter seafood preparation.

Freshly cut hay and grass, green apple, chamomile flowers, and clove spice. This MGP-sourced rye (95% rye/5% barley) has aged just enough to mellow slightly while preserving its prominent rye spice and herbaceous character. A drop or two of mineral water awakens it. It's VERY unique—appealing to a Canadian Whiskey or Scotch drinker's preference for rye—but a limited offering that's a great value. Definitely worth seeking out!

I typically avoid ryes, but this one... it's delightful! The aroma presents freshly picked apples, allspice, and undertones of vanilla custard. The palate offers apple crumble, nutmeg, peppercorn, cloves, and rye. This rye is perfectly harmonious and is the sole rye I keep stocked.

Aroma: sweet perfume, apple/cherry wood, citrus peel. Flavor: botanical, minty, and floral on the palate. Crisp. Green apples, lemon, herbs, arugula, allspice, nutmeg, esters, and naturally woody. Accessible, sweet, and vibrant.