Last year during a visit to Dark Arts Whiskey House of Lexington KY, we embarked on one of the most fun and freewheeling barrel selections we have ever done (aka tasted so many barrels, haven’t the foggiest as to how many we tried that day.) And it wasn’t for a lack of great options, there were many lovely bourbons in the mix, it was the unique opportunity that a producer like Dark Arts can offer. They have the flexibility and depth (and willingness) to keep pulling more – which gave us the opportunity to push the bar even higher, from great to truly exceptional. In the end we walked away with 3 remarkable barrels of bourbon, including a unique wine finish (extremely excited to finally be featuring a Sauternes cask, a personal favorite of multiple team members), a Japanese oak / Mizunara finished, and a super premium barrel (high age, high proof, bottled straight from the original cask.)

Barrel 17A09, the “Spice Rack”, was distilled in Indiana from MGP's high-rye mash bill using 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. It aged for eight years in new American Oak in Kentucky before finishing with Mizunara staves. The whiskey was bottled without chill filtration at a barrel proof of 116.9. The nose offers scents of toasted oak, sandalwood, toffee, cocoa powder, and a touch of baking spice. The palate is bourbon-y with complementary rather than dominant contributions from the Mizunara staves. Flavors include caramel, vanilla bean, toffee, clove, black pepper, and a sandalwood spice lurking in the background. The finish is long and pleasant with notes toasted oak, chocolate, and baking spice.