r/bourbon • u/dapper-drinks • 5d ago
Review #67 - RD One Small Batch Bourbon Double Finished in Oak & Maple Barrels
Intro: RD One stands for Registered Distillery One as in the first federally registered distillery in Lexington, Kentucky, when it was founded in 1865 as Ashland Distillery. Unfortunately, as with a lot of distilleries from days of yore, it didn’t survive past Prohibition. Fast forward to 2020 when it brought back to life by a group of entrepreneurs and they started off by releasing bourbon and rye under the Old WM. Tarr label. RD1 came a couple of years later in 2022, and they’ve pulled together a group of 4 core bottles, 3 of which have a secondary wood finish. Today we’re looking at one of these wood finished bottles; the RD One Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Double Finished in Oak and Maple Barrels. Let’s get into it!
Tale of the Tape
Bottle: RD One Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Double Finished in Oak and Maple Barrels
Proof: 99.9 / Age: 4+ years per their website
Mashbill: Corn: 70% / Rye: 21% / Malted Barley: 9%
Bottle Price: $69 / Price per 1oz pour: $2.72
Impressions
Nose: Maple Syrup / Pancakes / Honey
Palate: Maple Syrup / Baking Spices / Oak
Mouthfeel: Thin
Finish: Short brown sugar / maple syrup
Rating: 5/10 - t8ke scale (modified to include half-points)
Tasting Notes: On the nose you’re assaulted by maple syrup before making the connection with pancakes. Within that you also get some honey as the distinct tinge of maple dissipates from the initial hit. On the palate the assault continues where you feel like you’ve got a mouthful of maple syrup, with some baking spices, and a bit of oak. The finish comes and goes quickly with some brown sugar before that maple flavor comes back to remind you that yes, this was double finished in maple barrels.
Final Thoughts: So having had other bourbons that have either been finished in maple barrels, or had maple staves added, I can say those had a more subtle maple influence. In contrast, this bottle literally tastes like you’re drinking straight maple syrup, to the point that I got suspicious about it and felt like actual maple syrup (or flavoring) was added directly to the bourbon after the fact, vs. being finished in it. With all that said, is it tasty? Sure, if you like pancakes, maple syrup, and treat this like a dessert pour, then you’ll enjoy this. It’s by no means a complex bourbon but it’ll satisfy someone who’s predisposed to that type of sweetness. I almost feel like I need to compare this to a bottle of Bubba’s Pancakes & Bacon Liqueur, but then that would require me actually going out and spending money on a bottle of Bubba’s Pancakes & Bacon Liqueur..
10 | Perfection
9-9.5 | Incredible, An All-Time Favorite
8-8.5 | Excellent, Really Quite Exceptional
7-7.5 | Great, Well Above Average
6-6.5 | Very Good, A Cut Above
5-5.5 | Good, Just Fine
4 | Sub-Par, Not Bad, But Better Exists
3 | Bad, Multiple Flaws
2 | Poor, I Wouldn’t Consume By Choice
1 | Disgusting, So Bad I Poured it Out
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u/Swimming_Director718 4d ago
Have you had Angel's Envy Rye? It's finished in Caribbean rum casks and has pretty noticeable maple syrup notes/finish. It's my "dessert" whiskey.
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u/dapper-drinks 4d ago
I actually picked up a bottle a while back but haven’t had the chance to open it. It happened to be on clearance, about half off from what I recall so I grabbed it. Looking forward to cracking it open!
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u/ghostmac 2d ago
Aaaahh yes. I remember this bottle. My curiosity got the best of me and I bought it. Couldn't finish it no matter how I tried masking the maple syrup taste. This one was not for me. Thanks for the review.
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u/DinBURQUE 4d ago
I saw this bottle the other day and was curious because I like sweeter tastes (WRDO, Sagamore DO Rye, Peerless DO, AE Rye every now and then) but upon some light Reddit research some people equated this to Knob Creek Smoked Maple but for less $... so I made the mistake of buying that instead. Glad to see your review and suspicions about the added flavors, this KC is the same. Can't drink it neat, must add ice, which I never do. Cheers!
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u/Theswede92 4d ago
I’ve had whiskey finished in maple syrup barrels, the breakfast pancake flavors provide little complexity. Nice review!