Ted Huber makes good whiskey and this bottle is no exception. The whiskey is aged for four years and then dumped and aged again in a second new barrel. Ted is picky about his barrels and gets them from several different cooperages. The barrels are made to his specifications. He is particularly picky about the barrel heads. He is a firm believer in the influence of the heads on aging and does not believe in palletizing his aging whiskey barrels. He uses two-barrel wine racks that allow him to use a forklift to move the barrel racks. He likes this system as it gives him the best of both worlds – traditional aging on the side and the ease of moving barrels with a fork lift. He had traditional barrel racks but removed them after some workers were hurt moving barrels and says it was the best decision he ever made as nobody has been injured moving barrels since he made the switch. Rosemary and I were at Huber’s the other day purchasing strawberries and I could not resist this bottle, so I purchased one. I am glad I did. Matt and I sat down to taste it the other day and here are our tasting notes.
Starlight Double Oaked Rye Whiskey Bottled-in-Bond
Proof: 100
Age: Four Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, fruit – maybe figs or dates, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Rich caramel, peanuts, cinnamon and smoky oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, dates, wild berries, allspice and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the vanilla becomes a rich French Vanilla. Tasted with a pecan and butterscotch candy comes out with some white pepper spice.
- Matt: Chocolate and caramel, peanut butter, cherry and oak wood. The dried cranberry added some cinnamon and honey notes to the taste. The pecan enhanced the chocolate and caramel.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak, baking spices and lingering vanilla. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and spicier. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood and white pepper.
- Matt: Medium long with oak and peanut butter. The dried cranberry added some cinnamon spice. The pecan gave the finish a rich oak and tobacco with a touch of cinnamon finish.
I would pair this fine Rye whiskey with a My Father The Judge cigar. The rich chocolate and vanilla in the smoke would pair well with the rich vanilla in the whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller