This was an extreme impulse purchase I made while out hunting in some area stores. At the time I searched the web and came across a favorable Whisky Advocate review with a long comment trail talking about the probable KBD source from the old Bernheim distillery. I know some great older ryes had come out of old Bernheim so I was intrigued.
Color: I'm not one to care much for color but it's hard not to comment on that here. It is a deep, dark, maroon. I remember the clerk mentioned it looked more like coffee than whiskey.
Nose: A cornucopia of oak. There are wafts of spice but it's subdued by the wood. Very soothing and pleasing, not hot at all. The mellowness is evident even as early as the nose.
Taste: It's like a muted Rittenhouse with a lot less spice, way more thickness, and a little less heat. Hints of tobacco. There is sweetness but it is very dark and almost bitter, like a dark cocoa. It’s hard to find the notes below all the wood flavor. Mouthfeel is very viscous, oily, and bordering on sludgy.
Finish: Very long, almost scotch-like in length. It lingers a lot longer than I am accustomed at this proof. High on the resin which overpowers and subdues the char. Predominantly bitter wood tannins duking it out with the deep sweetness.
Thoughts: My initial review of this was slightly favorable but I found as I worked through half the bottle I've grown to dislike it. Even if you get past the oak bomb the viscous oily wood resin is a huge turn-off. Overall, this is my most regretted whiskey purchase to date especially when you consider the price.
Rating: D
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