With
over 100 different brands of Bourbon and over 4.7 million
barrels of the stuff ageing at any given time (which by the
way surpasses Kentucky's population of 4.3 million people)
what in the world would make a guy from Chicago (Kaveh Zamanian)
move to Kentucky and open a distillery and produce yet another
brand of Bourbon? It's the age old story of true love; the
love of a girl that led to a love of Bourbon that led to a
love of Kentucky. And so in 2012 the fruit of that love appeared
in the launching of the Rabbit Hole distillery and brand in
Louisville.
Well
there's one thing that makes this bourbon stand out from the
others and that's their mash bill; 70% corn, 10% malted wheat,
10% malted barley, 10% honey malted barley. Then they store
their Bourbon in wood burned, flame charred barrels from Louisville's
own Kelvin Cooperage, a 50 year old family business. By the
by, Zamanian has expanded his offerings to include: Kentucky
Straight Rye Whiskey, straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in
Sherry casks and London Dry Gin Kentucky Rye barrel finish
as well as his Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Pretty
much sounds like this guy from Chicago has done everything
right but we won't know that until we get to tasting this
spirit so let's get to it. This Bourbon comes in sleek squared
up bottles with nipped in waists featuring an etched rabbit.
As it is about 2 years old it's a fairly young spirit and
that is reflected in its very pale amber color. The nose is
very light with a touch of grain, a bit of cinnamon and cherries
and oak. The palate presents with an initial bit of spiciness
followed by the cherries, vanilla, oak and sweet honey. The
finish is slightly spicy with undertones of cherries and oak
and lasts a medium amount of time.
For
a young Bourbon this is a tasty spirit with just enough of
a kick to make it interesting. The flavors are all very subtle,
quite laid back and yet well blended so one does not step
over the other. Being over $50.00 per bottle might be a sticking
point for such a young Bourbon, however the bottle is NAS
meaning it does not contain an age statement, so literally
the proof is in the tasting and this spirit is light and tasty.
Rumor has it that they are planning to release a 4 year old
version sometime in 2018 and my mouth is already salivating
in anticipation.
Rabbit
Hole Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is 95 poof or 47.5%
ABV and retails for around $54.99
By George Brozowski
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http://www.rabbitholedistilling.com/
