About this deal
Finish: The fruity nature of the nose and palate continues on the finish. Lingering notes of cherries, bananas and apricots hold their own against heavier oak and cedar wood notes. Spice comes courtesy of cinnamon and clove. The balance on the finish is excellent. Score: 8.3/10 But enough about comparing and contrasting – how does this taste? Let’s find out. I sampled this neat in a glencairn. Rye bread, clove, brown sugar, dried grains, vanilla, cinnamon and a bit of dried fruit and wax. Like the aroma there’s an overall essence to this whiskey that reminds me a bit of the bubblegum from Topps Baseball cards.
I’ve already written an article exploring just how old the barrels of rye whiskey are that are selected for this program. While David was there in June, 2023, his pictures showed that the barrels ranged from 6 1/2 years old to 7 1/3 years old. The two barrels seen here today were 6 1/2 years old. Comparison Initially it begins a bit hot on the palate but that’s tempered by the continuance of that peculiar grilled watermelon note which is joined by a dash of clove, waffle cone, and cigar ash. The flavor of roasted peanuts comes into play as dark chocolate tumbles over the tongue before this pour transitions to the finish with a flourish of floral notes and blooming butterscotch. With a buttery texture and the reintroduction of heat punctuating the lengthy finish, it delivers on all the expectations of well-made barrel proof whiskey. Nose: What’s strange is how much fruitier the WIMWR barrel smells compared to the NJBYC one. Of course there is a banana scent that’s present, but I’m also finding cherries and raspberries too. Sweet notes come courtesy of honey-drizzled French Toast. There’s also a fair amount of ground cinnamon. The oak and tannins are less noticeable on this barrel than the NJBYC one.