Leiper’s Fork makes some excellent whiskeys and this is no exception. They took a seven year old rye and finished it in Tequila barrels. The rye whiskey has a mash bill of 55% rye, 30% corn and 15% malted barley and has a barrel entry proof of 110. My only question is why bother with the finish? The Tequila adds nothing in particular to the flavor and in fact hides some of the fruit flavors I love in their rye whiskey. This bottle is part of their experimental series and I would say this experiment reached results that were average at best (given their rye whiskey is exceptional) with the flavor of the whiskey. Matt and I sat down and tasted the whiskey the other day and here are our tasting notes.
Leiper’s Fork Southbound Rye Whiskey Finished in Tequila Barrels
Proof: 107
Age: Seven Years, One Month Old
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, rye grass, plums apricots, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Rye grass, vanilla, lemon zest, ginger and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, rye grass, a hint of apricot, cinnamon and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the apricot comes a bit more forward. Tasted with a pecan and milk chocolate, apples and ginger spice come out to join the party.
- Matt: Rye grass, vanilla, lemon zest and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a note of pears and ginger. The pecan brought out notes of chocolate and hazelnuts.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak and cinnamon spice. The dried cranberry made the finish longer. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, apples and ginger.
- Matt:
- Medium long with oak wood and lemon. The dried cranberry made the finish longer. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, lemon and lingering chocolate.
I would pair this whiskey with a cigar that has vanilla and rich tobacco in the smoke. I would reach for an Oliva Serie V cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller