Dark Arts 6.5 Year Rye finished in Calvados - Drums & Drams (119.28 Proof)

Mashbill: 95% rye / 5% malted barley

Don’t let the age fool you on this one, there’s absolutely zero youth in this wildly dense whiskey. The nose is heavy, dark, and rich. It smells like an apple pie covered in maple syrup and caramel sauce! Red candy apple, rye spice, and a slight floral note manage to peak through as well. There’s even cola at play! The concentration is off the charts. On the palate, this rye is thick and unctuous. It leads off with a sweet and sour dance between apple pie and heavy caramels, and as the whiskey develops, the profile moves from Calvados-driven to rye-driven, transitioning throughout the sip into a long rye finish. In our blind of 4 of these barrels, this one easily came out on top because of the full-bodied drinking experience, length of the finish, and because of its overall profile (we loved the ratio of Calvados influence to base rye whiskey profile).