Apricot | Orange rind | Raspberry | Light bubble gum | Floral undertone

Rich fruit-forward mix | Raspberry jam | Strawberry jelly | Orange marmalade | Caramel base | Light baking spices on the backend

Baking spices upfront | Caramel | Summer fruit | Medium length

Cask & Coast Spirits Co. doesn’t share much about their company or background. Instead, the focus is on the company’s first and so far only release, which is a blend of bourbons with different mashbills that was (presumably) sourced from MGP and then finished in a combination of California cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc red wine casks. This particular blend is marketed as a small batch, and is made up of only 750 bottles.

‍The whiskey strikes a balance between easy-sipping drinkability that might be more attractive to a casual drinker and developing complexity that might be more attractive to a seasoned drinker. While the exact four grain base blend is unknown, it is likely similar to that being produced by others such as Penelope Bourbon which is known to be a highly drinkable product on its own. Further, the finishing process likely rounds out some of the bourbon’s spicy edges, and in this case seems to be adding a heavy fruit-forward element to the base whiskey. Notably, it does not venture into dry or overdone territory as red wine finished whiskeys can sometimes be afflicted by. At the same time, while this whiskey gets a lot right, it lacks a level of complexity that would elevate it to greater heights.

‍The bottle in review is 417 out of 750.