Beehive Distilling, Cask Aged Rye Whiskey

Distilled from a blend of Hazlett rye and heirloom Hopi blue corn grown locally in Utah, and then aged in new American oak and 20 year old Mexican Sherry barrels. No age statement. This is Batch 1, released November 2025. Tasting neat. Bright copper color and light coating legs in the glass. On the nose, vanilla oak, a funky earthy note, and bubblegum. Light and indistinct. On the palate white sugar and vanilla, with a little astringent ethanol, tannic oak, and spicy grassy rye coming on later. Mouthfeel is thin but tingling spicy. Finish goes from spicy tannic leather and ethanol warmth to a dry sour finish that is relatively short. An ice cube tames the tannic spice but leaves the sour and that astringent aroma. Beehive has been making great gin and barrel aged gin for years, and is just branching into their own aged whiskies. The idea of sherry cask aged rye is right on (adding some rich fruit notes), and this is a good start, but it has a ways to go yet to match the quality their gins attain. UPDATE: Just discovered that Wine Enthusiast rated this a 95, Superb. It's good but... I do appreciate the variabilty between peoples' tastes.