Melted caramel | Candied red fruit | Vanilla pudding | Oak

Maple syrup | Vanilla custard | Toasted oak | Light clove

Rye spice | Black pepper | French oak | Reduced maple syrup

I’ve discussed in-depth how contrast was king for finished whiskeys in 2024. Pairing rye against the sweetness of the maple brûlée barrels makes sense, but sometimes, results are not always so clear cut.

Any whiskey with the words “maple brûlée” on its label comes with a certain amount of expectations that they are going to be sweet and delectable. To a degree, those expectations are curbed by the spiciness of the base rye. But it might not be all of the rye’s fault. This whiskey was also briefly finished for an undisclosed amount of time with Jupilles French oak staves, but in this case, adds a little too much sharpness to the whiskey. When it comes down to it, Hard Truth Maple Brûlée Rye is hard to put in a box and completely wrap your head around. It’s a finished rye that comes at you from different directions. At times that can be adventurous, and at others, peculiar. It’s a whiskey that tastes like it's not quite there, but also one with no benchmark to compare it against. Given this description, you’ll likely know if you’re up for the challenge or not.