Rock Town Hand Filled Single Barrel

The smell starts out vibrant and peppery with oak, dried botanicals, ripe fruit, brown sugar, and subtle hints of molasses sweetness. It's quite full-bodied but also shows some immaturity. As it airs out, a certain graininess appears, though it's not overly distracting. The taste begins smooth and dry, then gives way to grain and pepper that saturate the mouth. The immaturity is certainly evident here, but notes of vanilla and brown sugar soon come in to support, as do dried botanicals. The conclusion is medium-long and youthful, with lingering grain, spice, and oak. Everything else is too subdued to stand out. One issue this bottle faces is that it doesn't hold up well once opened. Initially, the grain was less noticeable. Towards the end, after only a few months open, it seems to degrade. Overall, Rock Town produces exceptional whiskey, and the experience of hand-filling your own bottle is highly rewarding.