Pikesville 6 Year Old 110 Proof Straight Rye

Six years seems young, but for an American whiskey, that is already quite well matured. This Pikesville is a straight rye whiskey, which means the main ingredient is rye, in this case upholstered with corn and malted barley. Pikesville was initially produced in Maryland – from 1895 until Prohibition – but nowadays is a Kentucky product from Heaven Hill. It was launched in the summer of 2015 and bottled at 110 Proof, or 55% ABV.

Hello?! What a beautiful nose on freshly ground coffee beans, milk foam, charchoal, flambéed pancakes with banana and a hint of mint. Milk chocolate. Brown sugar. A cinnemon bun. A bit of caramelized orange peel in the backgroud. This is very nice.

Oily, spice and sweet on the palate. After a few moments that spiciness becomes really big and leaves your mouth completely dry. The oak roars! Think cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper. The sweetness translates into caramel, vanilla, dried coconut and some honey. This is again very pleasant, although it does not quite fulfill the promise of the nose.

That spiciness continues on in the long finish.

Very much worth your while. A bottle will cost between 80 and 100 EUR, depending on where you look. In the States, it is just below 60 bucks, but hey, I do not come there very often. Pity, for this is really good. Thanks for the sample, Peter.

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