I like the Rabbit Hole Distillery. It has one of the most informative tours in Louisville. I was visiting there a few months ago and picked up some of their bottles and Matt and I sat down to taste them. Here are our tasting notes.

Rabbit Hole Heigold Bourbon

Proof: 95

Age: Three Years Old

Nose: 

  • Mike: Corn, vanilla, bananas, baking spices and oak wood.
  • Matt: Vanilla, marshmallows, corn, raisins and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Vanilla, banana, cherries, cinnamon, and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and a peppery spice comes out. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla is enhanced and a milk chocolate note joins the party.
  • Matt: Corn, vanilla, raisins and pomegranate fruit and oak wood. The dried cranberry gave it a tangerine, vanilla and corn flavor. The pecan brought out caramel and honeycomb flavor.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with oak, spice and lingering cherry. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and spicier. The pecan made it very long with oak and chocolate.
  • Matt: Medium long with oak, corn and citrus. The dried cranberry made the finish shorter with oak and lingering citrus. The pecan made it longer with oak, honey and citrus.

Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Rye

Proof: 95

Age: Three Years Old

Nose:

  • Mike: Rye grass, vanilla with a hint of baking spices and oak wood.
  • Matt: Lemon grass, mint, black pepper and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, lemon, cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the cherry and cinnamon flavors. The pecan reduced the spice but enhanced the lemon and oak flavors.
  • Matt: Vanilla, lemon cake, black pepper and oak. The dried cranberry added some butterscotch flavor. The pecan gave it a sweet vanilla latte’ and lemon flavor that also made it a very creamy mouth-feel.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with rye grass, oak and spice. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and spicier. The pecan made it very long with oak, spice and lingering lemon.
  • Matt: A very creamy finish with oak and black pepper. The dried cranberry added a butterscotch note to the finish. The pecan made the finish very long with oak, black pepper and lingering vanilla.

I would pair these whiskeys with a NUB Maduro cigar. The vanilla and chocolate notes of the smoke would pair well with these whiskeys.

Photos Courtesy of Michael Veach