Castle & Key Restoration, Kentucky Rye Whiskey (2021 Release) / 52%/ 0.75l

Castle & Key Distillery has been in operation since 2016, but its roots date back to 1887, when Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor built the Old Taylor Distillery in Millville, Kentucky.

It closed with the advent of Prohibition in 1920. Taylor died three years later at the age of 92, and the property changed hands several times before falling into disrepair. In 2014, Will Arvin and Wes Murry purchased the 30-acre property with the intention of restoring the buildings and restarting distilling. After two years of renovations and a lawsuit with the Sazerac Company (Sazerac owns the Old Taylor and Colonel E.H. Taylor brands), the distillery began operating as Castle & Key Distillery. Restoration Rye, distilled from a mash of 63% rye, 17% corn, and 20% malted barley, debuted in 2020.

Nose: mild, slightly floral, caramel, vanilla, bananas, pineapples, orange peel, roasted peanuts, mint leaf, notes of cinnamon and oak.

Taste : herbal blend, wholemeal toast, black pepper, cinnamon, baked apples, orange zest, vanilla, maple syrup and peppermint tea.

Finish: medium long, with notes of vanilla, honey, rye spiciness, mint, a pinch of salt and toasted oak.