Distillery 291 3yo Batch 3

Distillery 291 3yo Batch 3

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single rye - Colorado
Dark amber red
67.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, desiccated coconut, red grapes, brown paper, honeycomb, orange peel. With water, honeycomb, damson jam, artificial grape flavour, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, hot, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Damson jam, malted grains, cream, red grapes, artificial grape flavour, honeycomb, hints of oak chips. With water, sea salt, strawberry jam, artificial grape flavour, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Artificial grape flavour, black pepper, honeycomb, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Oof, the cask totally influences this. Honeyed, lots of strawberry and damson jam notes, but also that tang of Fanta grape. Luscious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Distillery 291 3yo Batch 2

Distillery 291 3yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single rye - Colorado
Amber red
66.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cooked rice, vanilla, strawberry jam, photocopy paper, rye bread, black pepper, honey. With water, cooked rice, strawberry jam, honey, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Honey, vanilla, blackcurrant cordial, strawberry jam, photocopy paper, black pepper, cough syrup. With water, black tea, cough syrup, blackcurrant cordial. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, cough syrup, blackcurrant cordial, black tea. 

Comments: 

Fruity rye, lots of blackcurrant and cough syrup notes alongside the characteristic black pepper. It softens a lot with water, turning more cereally and sweet.

Verdict:

I like this.

291 Small Batch (Batch 30)

291 Small Batch (Batch 30)

Official bottling 
Single rye - Colorado
Amber red
50.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, black pepper, peaches, orange peel, raisins, rye bread, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Black pepper, peaches, orange peel, fresh baked bread, brown paper, sandalwood. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, rye bread, sandalwood, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Aspen stave finished. It’s quite fragrant and woody, lots of peaches and orange peel notes. There’s a pervasive sandalwood note, like you might find in a mizunara influenced whisky. That’s probably the aspen, but other woods can impart it too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Distillery 291 11 months old Batch 1

Distillery 291 11 months old Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single bourbon - Colorado
Amber, hints of red 
49.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, strawberries, raisins, honey, prunes, dark chocolate, damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, warm, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, ink, raisins, cornbread, hints of green tea. 
Finish: Short. Ink, green tea, fresh baked bread, hints of raisins. 

Comments: 

Lots of classic sherried dried fruits on the nose, but it falls apart a bit on the tongue. It devolves to cereal and slightly metallic tannins, a sign that it’s too young (of course it is, at 11 months!). I normally wouldn’t have tried it, but stuff from this distillery is hard to come by.  

Verdict:

I like this.

Distillery 291 Single Barrel Rye Spirit

Distillery 291 Single Barrel Rye Spirit

Official bottling 
Single rye - Colorado
Dark amber
50.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, lemon zest, bananas, white pepper, sourdough bread, hints of new plastic. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Apricots, white pepper, sourdough bread, nutmeg, magic marker, hints of Sichuan peppercorns. 
Finish: Medium. Sichuan peppercorns, white pepper, nutmeg, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Quite a unique rye, dark and spicy, with a lot of citrus fruit. It’s also not really whisky, as per the British definition. I think it’s probably around 2 years old. Good flavour though, and a decent level of sweetness (that would be the 39% of corn in the mash bill). 

Verdict:

I like this.

291 Single Barrel Bourbon (Aspen Stave Finished)

291 Single Barrel Bourbon (Aspen Stave Finished)

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Colorado
Amber red
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, red wine, balsamic vinegar, orange peel, cardboard. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, loose, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Balsamic vinegar, raspberries, cookie dough, sandalwood, white pepper, hints of cotton sheets. 
Finish: Long. Sandalwood, raspberries, iron filings, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Spicy, sweet, fragrant - this bourbon hits all the right notes, but the edges of the flavours are somewhat harsh, even slightly metallic. This needs some aging, I would guess it's maybe 3 years old.

Verdict:

I like this.