Name: Pinhook Straight Bourbon
Color: Dark Brown
Nose: Corn, caramel, spices
Taste: Carmel, corn, pepper, cinnamon
Review:
8 Days until Christmas! Do you have all your gifts and bottles ready?!?
Pinhook Straight Bourbon is a whiskey created by Sean Josephs who has a extensive background in the food and beverage business. He is involved in several restaurants that are whiskey themed including Maysville in NYC.
Pinhooks bourbon is distilled, blended and bottled at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY. The distillery has a bunch of gin and few whiskeys listed on their website which means they are in the long term process of aging their own whiskey in house. I am guessing the distillery is buying product from Buffalo Trace and blending to make this expression. Lots of startup’s have to do this but they never really admit it up front.
This expression is part of the “Bourbon War” vertical series 5 year, which is the second release in the Bourbon War line, which follows barrels as they age from 4-12 years. The mash bill is 75% corn, 20.5% rye, and 4.5% malted barley. Started in 2015, they all have the same mash bill at 4 years and the distillery will age the barrels up to 12 years to get to 2027. The bottle I sampled was 113.9 proof, 56.95%, bottle number 072/214. So, there is a lot of stuff is going on with the label including a “selected by Shop Rite” and with the producers of this whiskey.
It is hard to nose due to the high proof. Upon the first taste the whiskey is very strong but you can tell it has some nice flavors hidden under the alcohol. Add a little water and then some ice you get a much smoother flavor profile and it is very nice stuff.
Priced around $50 and is worth a try, but the price versus all the marketing makes me wonder what I am really getting. I will give the other expressions a try in the future.
Thanks to Barry for letting me try it!
If you like it, drink it! – Christopher
If you like it, drink it!
