Wilderness trail rye whiskey family reserve cask strength

Selected by The Party Source Barrel ID: ISC 779761 Rickhouse Location: B-E12N4 Yeast Strain: FP1 Age: 4 years and 4 months Alcohol by Volume: 53.46%; 106.93 proof Opened: 1 month ago Nose: Butterscotch, caramel, honey, herbal tea, anise, subtle citrus, light oak, and moderate ethanol. Palate: Smooth caramel, white pepper, pine needles, dill, honeysuckle, white sugar, and dry oak. The finish is medium length, featuring herbal and floral rye notes, white pepper, mineral water, dried honey, and light ethanol. I've had previous cask strength Wilderness Trail Rye offerings, but it appears they are transitioning their cask strength single barrels to a white label and rebranding the single barrel as Family Reserve. A thoroughly enjoyable and reasonably priced rye whiskey, notable for its unique flavor profile that distinguishes it from many other barely legal or MGP ryes. It's not quite as exceptional as a prior single barrel I sampled, but still a very good bottle.

This specific single barrel is 5 years and 3 months old. Bottled at 53.85% ABV. The nose has powdered sugar on rye bread, caramel, orange peel, and something slightly floral. The palate contains caramel, mint, fresh cracked pepper, cinnamon, a mild herbal note, orange, and a touch of grapefruit bitterness on the finish. I recall being more impressed with the previous single barrel I tried, although it was 58% ABV and I only had a small taste at a whiskey event with many bottles. This is quite good, though for the price I'd prefer Pikesville or Contradiction, which are less expensive.

This was the batch selected by the bar. Nose: Rye spice, sweet, with an almost cheesy undertone at the finish. Taste of woody rye caramel spice. Very solid.

Wood, maple syrup, baking spices, cracked black pepper