Rabbit Hole Dareringer Straight Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks

RABBIT HOLE SHOWDOWN Rabbit Hole Heigold Kentucky Straight Bourbon Rabbit Hole Cavehill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Rabbit Hole Dareringer Straight Bourbon Finished In Px Sherry Casks Rabbit Hole Starlino I encountered Rabbit Hole at an event a few years back with the founder, Kaveh Zamanian. I had noticed the unique bottles on shelves but never bought one. In my experience, distinctive packaging often prioritizes marketing over the spirit inside. This is not the situation with Rabbit Hole. I am very impressed with the distillery's dedication to quality, detail, and open information. Rabbit Hole Heigold A bright orange-amber hue. The aroma offers chocolate-covered cherries, a hint of peanut brittle, buttered pancakes, apple cider, balsam, and a touch of spearmint. It has a pleasantly viscous texture on the palate, with orange oil and clove emerging, followed by a slight warmth on the finish. More chocolate-covered cherries and some oaky vanilla are present, reminiscent of a woody orange creamsicle (in a good way), concluding with a lasting spice. Excellent flavor complexity, sweetness, and smoothness. Rabbit Hole Heigold is available for under $65. Would I purchase it again? Yes. Rated 4.25. I hope Rabbit Hole does not significantly increase prices once age-stated releases become available. 95 proof. NAS. Non-chill filtered. Mashbill: 70% Corn, 25% Malted Rye, 5% Malted Barley Rabbit Hole Cavehill A virtually identical orange-amber color to the Heigold. The aroma presents caramel apples, Honey Nut Cheerios, balsam, and some ethanol. A faint dusty note, often found in Wild Turkey, is present. It has a similar light viscosity as the Heigold. I detect some peanut flavor on the palate. Oaky woodiness appears on the finish, along with cinnamon red hots, vanilla, and again, chocolate-covered cherries. The warmth is more pronounced than one might expect for its 95 proof. Rabbit Hole Cavehill is very good, and smoother than the Heigold with its higher rye content, but it doesn't match the Heigold's complexity. It's quite good, and can be found for $55-60. Would I buy it again? Yes. Rated 4.0. 95 proof. NAS. Non-chill filtered. Mashbill: 70% corn, 10% malted wheat, 10% honey malted barley, 10% malted barley. Rabbit Hole Dareringer A dark amber with a subtle rust tone. Aromas include chocolate notes of fudge, cocoa powder, Cocoa Puffs cereal, raisins, honey, and spearmint. It's almost like a mudslide slushy drink. The palate exhibits both width and depth, with greater intensity than the nose. The ethanol, which was subtle on the nose, makes an appearance on the finish. Angel's Envy was among the first bourbons to adopt the common Scotch whisky practice of finishing maturation in sherry casks. However, Dareringer executes this much better (a side note: I need to arrange a sherry-finished bourbon comparison). Rabbit Hole Dareringer is available for approximately $80. Would I buy it again? Yes. It is exceptionally good. Rated 4.5, consistent with my previous assessment. 93 Proof. NAS. Non-chill filtered. Mashbill: 65% corn, 25% wheat, 10% malted barley. Rabbit Hole Starlino A shade lighter amber than the Heigold and Cavehill. It unmistakably presents as rye. Sweet red grapes, rosemary, sage, rye, baking chocolate, freshly cut grass, and a cooling menthol sensation are detected. Chocolate and herbal notes dominate the palate; a pleasant rye spice emerges on the back end. The higher alcohol content is well-managed (despite this being the highest proof of the four), leading to a sweet, medium-length finish. Rabbit Hole Starlino is finished in Hotel Starlino Rosso vermouth. I received this bottle as a gift at the aforementioned Rabbit Hole tasting I attended a couple of years ago. Only 2112 375ml bottles were produced, and it was exclusively available at the distillery. It does not appear to be available online, and I have no information on its original price. Would I buy it again? Yes, provided the price was reasonable. It is very good. Rated 4.0. 105.6 proof. NAS. Bottle #446 of 2112. These four Rabbit Hole bottlings (among others) represent distinct spirits. The Heigold is characterized as "high rye"; the Cavehill features a four-grain bourbon mashbill; the Dareringer is a sherry-finished bourbon; and the Starlino is a Kentucky rye finished in vermouth casks. I favor the Heigold over the Cavehill; it is sweeter and more complex. The Dareringer is a different category altogether, and arguably more intricate than the Heigold, boasting significant flavor depth. The Starlino, being a rye, is also in a separate category. These comparisons are not competitions but rather exercises to highlight the diverse aromas and flavors detectable when contrasted with other whiskies or spirits, aiming to offer a clearer perspective on their relative characteristics than a single-spirit tasting might provide (though I do conduct those as well). When Rabbit Hole was established in 2012, they sourced whiskey from New Riff distillery. However, they have been producing their own product since 2018 (I believe the Starlino was the first release entirely from the distillery). The company promotes its offerings as "super premium" on its website, and I concur. They are very good, and my impression is that Rabbit Hole bourbons and ryes will only improve as their aged inventory grows. Note: All spirits were tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

The nose is sweet from wine and charred oak, balanced by a wonderful mix of vanilla and brown sugar in a very straightforward experience. Not complicated or pretentious, this is bourbon finished in PX casks, and you can tell it was done right immediately. The palate is a great mix of the PX and charred oak that subtly reaches the corners of the mouth. It is very smooth and indistinct, as the most perfectly balanced flavors always are. They are always there because it's effortless to sip, requires no thought; it's just good. Not overwhelmingly good, but a masterful blend of bourbon and sherry that highlights the best of both worlds: sweetness and oak. The finish is medium and not exactly memorable, but with every glance at the glass, you see the treat before you. For this to be good, it doesn't need to be intense. It just needs to exist. It is wonderful to sip on in every unpretentious way.

The aroma presents earthy notes, likely from the sherry cask and the wheated mash bill. Hints of dark, dried fruits such as cherries, figs, and cranberries are also present. The initial taste brings a touch of spice, subtle earthiness, and very ripe fruit resembling raspberry or strawberry jam, possessing a balance of sweetness and tartness. Following this, vanilla notes emerge. A few more sips reveal a raspberry ice cream character as the fruit and vanilla combine. The finish is relatively brief and astringent. Nevertheless, with continued tasting, the raspberry ice cream flavor appears to persist. In summary, this is an excellent, flavorful bourbon, particularly for those who appreciate prominent fruit characteristics.

The aroma is rich with sweet notes, primarily brown sugar, caramel, and light vanilla. Raisins, black pepper, apricot, and black cherries are also present, making the nose inviting and complex. An extremely pleasant aroma. Upon tasting, the sugar notes are immediately evident, accompanied by black currant and light pepper. It's less complex than the aroma, but the PX Sherry cask finish does emerge, offering, surprisingly, a slight coffee note. The finish is rather brief, likely due to the somewhat low proof. Overall assessment: Aroma 4.5/5; Taste 4.0/5 Total 4.25/5. Would purchase again: Yes. Occasion: Friday Night Pour/Special Occasion.

Received this bottle as a present. While I'd seen this label before, I'd never felt compelled to purchase it. It was always something for 'later.' The aroma was the initial surprise; no spice, but rather what I perceived as berries – fruity, yet not overly sweet. This is noteworthy as some PX sherry spirits I've sampled occasionally have a slightly funky quality. The taste was smooth, with some fruitiness in the mid-palate and a hint of pepper. The conclusion was a bit brief, but packed with flavor. To sum up, this is a very pleasing whiskey to my palate (served neat). Cheers

The nose is promising, with currant, cherry, brown sugar, and raisin notes layered over the standard hay, honey, and vanilla found in this distillery's offerings. The taste could almost be mistaken for a tawny port, which a loved one would likely appreciate. It presents as berry jam with creme brulee, cornbread drizzled with strawberry syrup, and nuts dusted with sugar – definitely a dessert bourbon. The finish is gentle and mildly spicy. While it leans sweet for my preference, it's clearly a bourbon designed for relaxation and enjoyment. It is a bourbon meant to be approachable and easygoing.