Wilderness Trail – Small Batch Bottled in Bond Bourbon (75cl, 50%)

This is a Kentucky straight bourbon from Wilderness Trail, the third whiskey release from the Danville distillery. It uses rye rather than wheat as the secondary grain, in a mash bill of 64% corn, 24% rye and 12% malted barley. The corn and rye are grown by a local farm, and the mash is sweet rather than sour. Each batch is drawn from 10 to 12 barrels of distillate from a single fermenter. It is bottled in bond at 50% ABV (100 proof) without chill-filtration, in a 750ml bottle. The nose brings floral vanilla, soft caramel and dark stone fruit. The palate is viscous, with caramelised peanuts, brown sugar, peppery rye and dried cherries, and the finish is long, herbaceous and malty.