Twelve years is a long time to wait, but patience has its rewards. Starting with our signature “high rye” recipe, this impeccable bourbon whiskey is the satisfying result of maturing for more than a decade in the finest charred American white oak barrels. Tasting Notes: Rich flavors of vanilla and cocoa abound in this full-bodied bourbon. After spending twelve years in oak, the delicate fruit notes in this whiskey are met with a lingering smoky finish that is more complex than most.

While this offers no age statement, it revels in the renewed respect for bottled in bond whiskey which assures us it is at least 4 years old, 100 proof, from one distillery, and one distilling season. This new appreciation is for good reason. Toasted oak, chocolate-covered banana, vanilla, and apple meet hints of coffee and cinnamon on the nose. The high-rye recipe delivers the requisite cracked pepper and baking spices on the caramel-laden palate laced with licorice. This widely available bourbon seems to dwell in the age sweet spot, is nicely balanced with oak, and comes at a price that leaves little cause for hesitation. —Jeffery Lindenmuth