Name: Kentucky Owl Rye (Batch #3)
Color: Copper
Nose: Corn mash, barley/rye, vanilla, white oak
Taste: Corn, vanilla, orange finish
Kentucky Owl Rye Batch #3 whiskey is one of those with an odd history and a very high price tag. I stopped by the Bardstown Distillery with the hope to sample some of their more exotic expressions, but I was only able to get a flight of basic expressions and this rye for some reason. The bartender was really selling how great this rye was and that the gift store has bottles for sale. My Spidey-sense started tingling which is never a good sign.
When I tasted this rye, (away from the bartender at a table) it had a nice balance, soft profile, and was a little hot at 57% abv. A little water opened it up, and I liked it. But then I learned the cost and I started hating it.
I had to do some research about why this rye cost so much. I learned the Stoli Corporation purchased Kentucky Owl from a private owner who is the great-great-great grandson of someone who made bourbon a long time ago. They appear to be in the process of creating a premium luxury brand and added this stuff to their portfolio. The whiskey is sourced from multiple distilleries. It is not clear which ones but it is thought to be Jim Beam, Old Forester, Wild Turkey, and Barton/Sazerac. This does not justify the cost.
Priced around $250 and not worth the money. What dumb ass pays $250 for a 10-year-old rye?
If you like it, drink it! – Christopher
If you like it, drink it!
PS: I read Batch No. 4 is not being released. No shit? I wonder why…
