High West "Double Rye" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Moscatel Finished Cask Strength Rye Whiskey (750ml)

This beautiful barrel of rye whiskey perfectly matches aromatic sweet wine with dry, spicy mountain rye. If you know anything about me, you know I'm extremely skeptical of wine-finished bourbon. While there are certainly great examples out there, I rarely feel that adding a wine finish significantly improves the whiskey. More often it simply makes the spirit taste different, which is fine I suppose, but if you're going to go through all that effort, why not make it better? Otherwise, it feels like a wasted opportunity. Rye whiskey, however, has far more potential for added depth and nuance in my opinion, and this barrel is a perfect example. First, we have a relatively uncommon type of sherry cask that even in Scotland is rarely encountered, paired with a classic rye recipe from one of the original distillers of the American craft movement. Let's have at it. The color is solidly dark, no doubt thanks to more than 16 months of finishing, a deep mahogany (1.6). The nose bursts forward with sultanas, jasmine, Seville orange, roasted clove, and sweet fresh herbs like fennel and dill. The pungent raisinated fruit blends beautifully with dark herbal tones and bright citrus zest. On the palate, the sweetness of the wine arrives immediately and in the most pleasurable way. It reminds me somewhat of Angel's Envy Rye, but instead of molasses you get a more balanced profile built around zesty citrus and plummy fruit. The mid-palate carries just enough spice to keep the whole package from feeling overly dessert-like, but not so much that it dries out the finish. Altogether a lovely cask that proves those guys up in the snow can still surprise us when they want to. This is an easy bottle to recommend to nearly anyone with even a passing interest in American whiskey, but it also has the kind of broad appeal that could pull plenty of new drinkers into the fold.