Proof: 103

Age: 3 years

Distillery: C&K

Mashbill: 17/63/20

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Nose: Allspice, butterscotch, blackberry, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, grassy/floral, orange zest, black tea.

Taste: Buttery/Metallic. Cinnamon, brown sugar, apricot, raisin, dried strawberry, ginger, fennel, rye grain/earthy, clove, nutty, vanilla, honey.

Finish: Medium length. Big punch of rye grain and ginger on the front of the palate, followed up by a nice sweet, dried fruit note reminiscent of dried strawberries and raisins. The whole finish is maintained by the youthful grain notes. The fennel, floral malt note, and black tea are very prevalent in the entire finish. The length of the finish is just fine, but I would love a slightly bigger punch in flavor.

Overall: I feel like I said it best before in my bottle crack video, “it is what it is.” This is a solid $37, 3-year old rye whiskey that is perfect for anyone. Someone who is new to rye can pick this up and enjoy the very heavy bourbonesque profile, i.e, the rich brown sugar, cinnamon, and dried fruit.

Served blind, this has fooled me into thinking it is a high rye bourbon, something of the Four Roses realm. I think for the money, you honestly can’t beat it. Beautiful bottle, limited release, first ever from a new brand in a historical distillery – checks the boxes for hunters and hobbyists alike.

All in all, this is the Woodford of rye whiskey to me. Yes, I can say there are better $20-$25 bottles out there, but this is worth every penny.  If you try this and don’t enjoy it, rye whiskey is not for you!

Price alone is enough to recommend this. Yes, it has an “average” score from me, but C&K did it right and priced it for the masses and for that, I appreciate them way more than most brands.

Rating: 6.1/10

Value Rating: 10/10

Total Score: 8.05/10