Dark Art's The Empyrean Red & White Port Wine Cask Finish Bourbon (75cl, 55.7%)

The Empyrean is a 7.5 year old high-rye bourbon from Dark Arts Whiskey House, a Lexington blender. The mash bill is 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley, and the whiskey was distilled in Indiana before being blended and bottled in Kentucky at 55.68% ABV. What sets it apart is the finish. It spent time in red port wine casks and in white port wine casks as two separate finishes, which were then blended together rather than combined in a single cask. The red port is associated with dark cherry and blackberry, the white port with apricot and honeyed white flowers, all over high-rye spice, caramel and oak. The finish is long, with port and pepper.