Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon Tasting Notes and Ratings.

Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon

Added on Sunday, Jun 17, 2012 at 02:20 PM

Bottler:

Age:	N/A	Type:	American
Vintage:	N/A	Subtype:	Bourbon
ABV:	50.00 %	Region:
Price:	$43	Availability:	Wide

The interweb seems to indicate that this is Buffalo Trace mashbill #2, which is a high rye bourbon. This is the same mashbill as Blanton's Single Barrel, but these must be different barrels. Interestingly, there is no indication of which barrel was used and where it came from. The bottle design does not seem to be reaching for the serious bourbon drinker with that kind of information. Rather, it is covered with pretty silver and gold horses, perhaps going after the growing 8 year old female bourbon collectors market (surely, they are not drinking it). Don't let that oddity fool you. The whiskey inside is quite good wherever it came from and whoever is buying it.

Member Ratings and Notes

Mike

Nose: From a fresh bottle, the grainy corn aroma hits first. Then sweet rye aromas -- butterscotch, caramel, spicy gumdrop sugar, hint of nutmeg and herbal minty something. Great nose! Not too hot and overpowering, you can savor the nose on this. With time it changes significantly. A half-hour in the air and it has chocolate soufflé aromas.

Palate: Medium body, sweet caramel, turning to spicy caramelized sugar as from a pan sauce. Later, mocha, chocolate covered nuts, a little pineapple and cherry. Wonderfully complex. Sweet and fruity, turning dark and chocolaty with air, nice spiciness. Quite balanced at 50%. Easily sippable without water. A drop of water does open it up. This is a little too delicate and "smooth" to even think of ice. Perfect out of the bottle.

Finish: Lingers moderately. No bitter bite or strong burn. Rather has a very pleasant, slight woodiness. Cedar, candle wax, lingering mint chocolate flavors. Fades slowly without adding much that is new, but still asks you to go slow and savor. If it had more strength and power on the finish, I'd certainly give it an A.

Overall: Subtle, complex, dynamic. One of the most refined bourbons I have ever had.

Tim

N: Dry and slightly piney, lightly peppery, heavy rye influence. Woody and slightly funky. Dark, dark, dark black cherry note. After a bit, a slightly caramel top note, but it's watery and blown out by the tannin bomb.

P: Mouth coating, a little vanilla upfront but then dominated by that almost oppressive wood and rye note with a piney kick. Fairly tannic.

F: Warm upfront, fades. Black tea in huge measure initially, then wood, pepper, rye and a touch of black cherry. Slightly astringent.

I've seen some positive reviews on this elsewhere (even here) and since this is a single barrel there will obviously be variation. What I tried absolutely doesn't do it for me.

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