Tasting notes

nose

Fresh pastry and caramelized pear over cured tobacco

palate

Candied pecan, chocolate-covered strawberry, raspberry and cocoa

finish

Long and warming; amaretto against toasted oak and allspice

Mash bill

78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley from Bardstown Bourbon Co.; 80% corn, 10% rye and 10% malted barley from a Tennessee distillery; and 70% corn, 20% wheat and 10% malted barley from Finger Lakes Distilling. That is two low-rye bourbons and one wheated one, so the blend carries rye spice and a softer wheat sweetness together. Pursuit prints all three recipes on the label.

Why it's craft

This is the highest-strength bottle in Pursuit's United line, bottled uncut and unfiltered, so the proof changes from batch to batch. Pursuit Spirits is a Louisville house founded by the hosts of the Bourbon Pursuit podcast, and it blends bourbons from partner distilleries in Kentucky, Tennessee and New York instead of distilling its own. All three mash bills are on the label, and the whiskey is sourced.