2021 Pinhook Flagship Straight Rye Whiskey, Kentucky, USA

Pretty Fly for a Hard Rye Guy.

A sommelier, Master Taster, and his wife walk into a bar. Yup, all this started at the renowned Per Se restaurant in New York. Since the team of friends behind Pinhook made it there, their Rye can make it anywhere. There's the Castle & Key Distillery, where the master-blending happens somewhere on the crossroads of Kentucky horse racing heritage, winemaking, and Whiskey enthusiasm. The term 'pinhooking' refers to buying thoroughbred horses based on their pedigree and selling them when they mature. The unique and quite saturated story behind the said liqueur is inspiring, but more importantly, it delivers a magnificent taste.

The '21 Pinhook flagship Rye release is meticulously crafted and proofed over 2 years from the brand's 'proprietary' mash bill of 20% corn, 20% malted barley, and 60% rye by Sean Josephs - the founder of Pinhook. Each year they release a vintage Rye of the moment with a young thoroughbred on the label.

The 'Crop '21' is bursting with aromas of apricot, cinnamon, and eucalyptus notes. What follows is a rich palate of candy, caramel, and orange peels. One thing is for sure. This bottle comes for you with a noticeable amount of information, but the dram itself is simply delicious. It (only) took two years to develop this small-batch expression. Give it a try, and this way, you'll have a horse in the Kentucky Whiskey race too!