Pardon The Punctuation…I don’t know about you but the sound of a 20 year aged bourbon sounds pretty good to me. “Rhetoric” from Orphan Barrel Distillery is just one of those whiskies. Here’s the story of Orphan Barrel right from the horses mouth.
“The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Company was started to share barrels of rare and delicious whiskey, hidden away and nearly forgotten in the back of rickhouses and distilleries.
Stories of these lost whiskeys have become the stuff of legend. Our goal is to bottle these rare, small offerings for the world to try.
Every Orphan Barrel is hand bottled in Tullahoma, Tennessee, to ensure that these rare whiskeys are treated with the care they deserve – because some of them will only be available once. And once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.”
That’s right. Once and they are gone…so when you find one you like, buy it and buy some more. The “Rhetoric” is only available once.
Nose: Oak, oak and more oak. Felt like I was sniffing an oak tree forrest. Yeah there’s a leathery quality but it’s overpowered by the oak.
Palate: Did I mention oak? These also a redeeming taste of vanilla. The vanilla really saved it for me.
Finish: Finishes pretty dry and smooth. Almost finished like a rye.
Conclusion: Not my favorite of the Orphan Barrel releases. Their “Barterhouse” is still my favorite for the money and a few bucks less. It’s a good bourbon but I’m not sure it’s worth the hefty price tag.
