First things first, we don’t know why the anti-theft ring is still on this bottle. The guy in the parking lot swore it was legit.
A couple of weeks ago we reviewed Rabbit Hole Boxgrail Rye from Rabbit Hole Distillery. In that post, we explained the distillery’s name and tried to explain the term Boxgrail. Today we have another review of a Rabbit Hole product, this time it is their Heigold Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. And again, we have a word that we have no idea what it means in Heigold. According to their website, he was a German immigrant who moved to Kentucky in the 1840s and was an artist.
Heigold Bourbon is 95 proof, pretty easy to find, has a mash bill of 70% corn, 25% malted rye, and 5% malted barley, is three years old, and comes in the same tall, elegant, corked bottle that the rye comes in. It sells for around the $55 range unless you buy it from a dude in the parking lot.
We really liked the Rabbit Hole rye with the odd name, will we really like the Bourbon with the odd name? We sure hope so.
Matt: A good nose that is a bit earthy with some leather and rye. Also get scents of almonds, apples, and cedar. Smells like a high rye.
Todd: Nothing dominates but I like it. I smell the rye; in fact, it smells like a rye. There are hints of plum, apples, yeast, and leather. Finally, just a very slight whiff of clover.
TASTE
Matt: Hot with a peppery spice upfront. Secondary flavors include leather, caramel, black fruit, and a little mustiness. Ice softens it up and lets the flavors through.
Todd: Too hot neat, with a small cube I get pepper and rye. Behind that is raisin, cedar, black fruit, and bread.
FINISH
Matt: Medium with more of the earthiness I got on the nose.
Todd: Medium long with a slight bitterness.
OVERALL
Matt: I enjoyed it, but it needs ice to appreciate.
Todd: I also enjoyed it, a good Bourbon but not a great one.
Nose 4.25 out of 5
Taste 7.75 out of 10
Finish 3.75 out of 5
Total score 15.75 out of 20 barrels.
While we both liked Rabbit Hole Heigold Bourbon, once the ice melted, we invariably will compare this to their rye we had a while back. At the same price, the rye was much better. That is not to say this Bourbon is bad, just probably not worth the $50 when there is so much out there at that price range that we just love, while this one we just liked.
But, if you like your Bourbon to be pretty hot on the tongue and like it to lean towards a rye, we recommend giving it a try. If you don’t want to buy the whole bottle, try it at your favorite bar.
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