Noble Oak Double Oak Rye

Product of USA is clearly marked, well it's distilled in INDIANA so yea, no false advertising so far. Noble Oak is reputedly double finished in a second port stave loaded cask, after a period in standard new charred American white oak. What this adds up to is some nice work done on some fairly average MGP rye. As most of you already know, MGP can produce some good stuff from time to time, this really feels like a little more of the middling stuff less cut and extra finished of course. The nose betrays the port red sugars and if any youngish or green characteristics exist, they are well hidden. I'm not gonna come right out and say this is a lot like Basil Haydens Dark Rye but it really is, so I guess I just did. That's actually a good thing in my book, as I'm a fan of the BH wine treated rye. There are just a bit of other nice sugar notes to go with the port, namely some brown sugarish candy, it almost does remind somewhat of "bit o honey". The finish is nice out the door style of just a little dill-rye spice burn, and nothing else, which seems "good enough". If this bottle comes in at around half the price of Basil Hayden Dark, which is admittedly better, it still has something to offer at a nice price. Largely a recommend depending on your penchant for finished rye's and your budget. Cheers!

These notes are from a blind tasting (Flaviar Advent Calendar) The smell is butterscotch, vanilla, honey, and a fresh clean mint spice. The smell is really nice. The taste is sour banana, tart cherries, and a strong wax feel but you can also taste the mild bitter waxiness too. Some sour dried red fruit and spiciness.  The finish is medium to long with sour red fruit and spice lingering the longest.  This is the second vile in a row from this advent calendar to have a strong wax quality to it. That may appeal to some but it isn’t a quality I prefer in whisky.  The sour fruits and spice were nice but the wax thing takes away from the experience for me. Overall Grade: C  (Average)

A gorgeous mahogany. Allspice, toffee, & sweet red wine come through on the nose of this one. There are also hints of menthol that I could do without. The port barrel aging punches through immediately. Rye spice, honey, & maple follow quickly though. Not really any better than the first time I tried it and seems to be more of a novelty rye than anything else. This has got a little punch behind it to finish however. Somehow it travels up my throat instead of burning on the way down. Still think I'd use it for mixes only. Disappointing overall.

An elegant, American Rye Whiskey by Noble Oak Distillery in Ohio aged in White Oak casks for a minimum of 1 year then finish with Port Wine staves; bottled at 48% ABV. Each bottle sold plants a tree. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grain, wood, herbs & spices; while a complex life adds notes of anise, allspice, menthol, toffee, maple, Rye spice & bell pepper; that led to a balanced & warming death of medium length with notes of vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon & almond cookie. December 2022

Color: Chestnut. Nose: Red wine and freshly-stained wood, with a spicy, cidery dryness. Palate: Rare pork chop topped with cinnamon-spiced baked apples. Nutmeg, gingerbread, and raisins linger. Finish: Some maple and shortbread, but sort of boring. Diluted: Nose is spongy and sweet, like coffee cake. A little more vanilla and less spice on the palate, but the finish is limp and powdery - this is really very good for the price point, but hard to ignore its exit.

I was able to try this at a bar. Never heard of it and figured why not. Had this neat in a glencairn glass. Well, I’ll be short with this review. It was awful. The nose was classic caramel with nothing else. The palate tasted like oak but a bad burnt oak and the finish was terrible. Have you ever drank bourbon right after you brushed your teeth in accident, that was the taste. Absolutely awful. Overall, I’d avoid this. You are not missing out.