Pinhook Bourbon Country

Castle & Key's Pinhook. This one is called "Bourbon Country," named after a racehorse. That seems to be how they name all of their releases. I don't know much about these guys, so I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. This is from Crop: Fall 2018. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and some carrot cake. Gala apple and graham cracker. Heavy spice and oak. Cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and allspice. Even some dill. Nothing unusual, but it's a solid nose. Palate: More caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar, now accompanied by milk chocolate and toffee. Cherry and apple, both red and green. Allspice, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Caramel and vanilla precede a wave of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and oak. Medium-long finish. Damn good whiskey. The internet says this is MGP distillate. No surprise there. But it looks like these guys have already been doing some distilling of their own. I'm on board with this one. If you're a gambler, hedge your bets on this horse. I think Castle & Key will be making some fantastic whiskey in the near future, based on the quality of this one. As it is, at $32, this a great value. If you're a bourbon drinker looking for a change of pace, I recommend this one.

I will start off by saying I was pretty impressed with this one! Much lighter in color than a traditional bourbon but I don’t feel like it tasted young. The nose and front end of the palate were sweet and kind of reminded me of a scotch but they quickly changed mid palate to give way to oak, vanilla, and maybe some cherries but definitely fruity. I thought the finish was leaving some to be desired but after a few sips it started lasting longer and was very pleasant. Great bottle at this price point and makes me eager to try their other expressions. I have to say the marketing is genius as well but that doesn’t affect my rating. That being said, will probably try to grab the collection from now on though!

I LOVE the finish on this. Peach is definitely the theme but the finish brings me back to little league baseball and chewing Bazooka Joe bubblegum. The nose definitely is sweet, fresh peachy fruit and light vanilla. The youth does show as its apparently aged 3yrs, so you taste the corn. Spice definitely kicks in the palate and again it shows it’s relatively young age. But the finish is so unique. It lingers forever!! You get the sweet peach, peppery heat, and some light new oak. But it costs your mouth so well that you lick your lips and have some bubblegum taste. One of a kind here for a 3yr old bourbon! 8.2/10!

Nose: opens up with light butterscotch tones then moves into bright fruity smell with a bit of pear In the mouth: Medium body not very complex (young whiskey). Slight heat. A bit of butterscotch and a hint of apricot as it sits on the tongue. Finish: honey and spice with just a peek of pear. Spice lingers Very drinkable. Not exactly what I would think of for a “bourbon” but for a $35 bottle I think it’s super drinkable. I will definitely keep a bottle of this on hand.

The nose is somewhat of a let down, not that it is bad but that it is hard to pull out specific notes because they are so muted. After some time I do get some faint hints of vanilla, corn,, and maybe cardamom. The palate is much more enjoyable with some spice and heat coming to the fore immediately along with baking spices. The finish is wonderful and lingers a long time. This one starts of slow but then comes through at the end for an enjoyable, if unremarkable, sip.

The color is amber but not as vibrant as you would expect in older bourbons. It does have legs that hang on and take their time making their way down the glass. The nose reveals some youth but also gives hints burnt toast, oak, orange zest and a touch of clove. The nose all carries over into the palate with a somewhat rich mouthfeel. The finish has more oak come out but is medium at best.