Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 21yo

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 21yo 

Orphan Barrel
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber brown
45.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blackberry jam, raisins, honey, vanilla, oak chips, dark chocolate, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Oak chips, dark chocolate, raisins, blackberry jam, peanuts, honey, sawdust, black pepper, black tea. 
Finish: Short. Peanuts, black pepper, honey, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

Lots of deep blackberry notes, but quite woody. It’s not quite chewing on an oak barrel, more like nibbling sawdust, so it’s not unpleasant. Some chocolate and peanuts keep it interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 24yo

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 24yo

Orphan Barrel

Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Hazelnuts, walnuts, oak chips, toffee, cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, astringent, cool.
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Hazelnuts, walnuts, chocolate, maple syrup, brown paper, fresh baked bread, cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Brown paper, hazelnuts, fresh baked bread, chocolate, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

Nutty and chocolatey, but with heaps of wood. There are savoury edges to this whisky, and some complexity commensurate with its age. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.