I have this weird thing for whiskies in Pineau des Charentes casks. I have no explanation for it at all. I was drinking Teeling, as I like to do, and one of them used the cask. Then my mother called me up from a friend’s house and they were talking about it.
Does that mean I’m drinking the regional Western French aperitif and speaking French and losing weight? No, not at all, what are you, nuts?
No, instead I’ve gone out and found some additional whiskies I can afford to try more of it. Enter High West Double Rye! K&L Exclusive Pineau des Charentes Finished. I’ve had other Double Rye! whiskies that have been finished. I enjoyed it.
Add to that this has a cask I want to try more of and I trust the company and bob’s now your uncle. He loves your other uncle very much and you will behave and respect him for your uncle’s happiness. He’s been through so much.
But did this pay off? I mean, it’s picked by K&L, which I’ve gone through stages of agreeing on cask picks and not. I’ve had High West I feel is the next step in American Whiskey and others where I disagree. Not to mention this is a finish, not a full maturation, so perhaps my inner anger of finishes will come out?
Not to mention I can be wrong at times.
Can’t get all tied up in that though: Let’s break the quantum state of the tasting and try this, shall we?
Price: $55
Region: Utah
Barrel No. 12870
Casks Used: Finish in ex-Pineau des Charentes casks for 2 years and 1 month
Abv: 51.1%
Colour: 5YR 4/8
Nose: Plum, floral, orange/cardamon, cinnamon bread, spice cake
Lots of acidity, spice, and fruit on the nose. If you’re coming to this expecting a typical bourbon, or really any typical bourbon notes, you’re gone. Maybe you could stretch it out and say the rye is on that orange/spice side and the floral is there from it.
Whatever, this nose is the shit, I’m happy, who cares where it came from.
Taste: Cinnamon, caramel, plum, cinnamon, char, mint
Less floral than I wanted, however there’s still a bit of sharp grassiness (mint as the American’s call it) and some sweeter caramel and cinnamon notes.
Bit sweeter and on the dessert side versus the nose, though still quite nice. The caramel/butter is nice to have, granted based on my typical pick of Haagen Dazs (salted caramel for life) I’m not sad about it.
Finish: Floral, salt, plum, cocoa, half-baked bread dough, lemon
There’s this yeasty, almost cloying note that I”m not loving. Which is sad because I’m pretty sure if you sold me something that was floral, chocolate, and salty (and not named Bruce, learned my lesson there) I’d be totally down for it.
It’s not totally ruining my day, but it is stepping on my foot and taking the last slice of pizza.
Conclusion: Buttery, floral, and spicy. Sign me up. It’s really that easy. I’m a sucker for the amount of floral rye here. Did the Charentes cask do anything? I don’t know, this is the second I’ve had. Maybe it amped it up.
What they did end up with is a bourbon that does all the nasty stuff Lowlands do when they are good. Bourbon fans don’t know how good they have this. It’s really, really good. I won’t say “buy it no matter what” unless you’re like me (broken). No, wait, I mean like me in loving floral aspects.
It’s also very sweet and the finish isn’t perfect. But I’d still say at least try it because this is really good.
84/100
Bourbon review #276, Utah review #25, Whiskey Network review #2112
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