Castle and Key Distillery has an experimental series of whiskeys. This whiskey is part of that series and was made with rye whiskey, aged four years that was finished in Haitian Rhum casks for a further thirteen months. The result is a sweet rye whiskey. Matt and I sat down and tasted this whiskey the other day and here are our tasting notes.
Castle and Key Haitian Rhum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey
Proof: 116.1
Age: Four Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Caramel, brown sugar, apples, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Vanilla, marshmallows, dates, cinnamon and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Caramel, brown sugar, apples, orange zest, allspice and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry added ginger and cinnamon spice. Tasted with a pecan and the caramel became a rich brown sugar flavor.
- Matt: Vanilla, dates, orange zest, cinnamon and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the vanilla. The pecan added a ripe apple flavor.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, caramel and lingering apple. The dried cranberry added ginger spice to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood and cinnamon.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and orange zest. The dried cranberry added cinnamon to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, cinnamon and apple.
I would pair this rye whiskey with a cigar that has rich vanilla and tobacco in the smoke, I would reach for a My Father Blue cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Matthew Kohorst and Castle & Key