Pikesville Rye Whiskey (70cl, 55%)

Pikesville is a straight rye whiskey in the Maryland tradition, bottled at 55% in a 70cl bottle. Production began in 1895 at the L. Winand & Brothers distillery near Baltimore, and Heaven Hill has carried the brand on since 1982, making it at its Bernheim distillery in Kentucky. The mash bill is 51% rye, the legal minimum, and the whisky matured for six years in American white oak, giving it a pale copper colour. The nose shows cocoa and oak smoke. The palate is lightly sweet with honey, rye and clove, dry and soft. The finish is soft and spicy, with hints of vanilla.