Strawberry jam | Maple butter | Caramel sauce | Savory undertone

Molasses | Caramel chews | Frosted Flakes cereal | Pie crust | Apple peel | Smooth

Baking spices | Brown sugar | Graham cracker

West Fork Whiskey Company’s Old Hamer line, which includes Hugh Hamer whiskeys, is sourced from MGP’s Ross & Squibb Distillery and utilizes their 99% corn, 1% malted barley mashbill. Aged for 4-6 years and finished in ex-rum barrels for an undisclosed amount of time.

West Fork Whiskey Co.’s Hugh Hamer Straight Bourbon Finished in Rum Barrels is an approachable finished whiskey with a pleasant intensity. The rum finishing is enough to let you know it’s there, but not so much that it overpowers the base whiskey. Starting with Ross & Squibb’s 99% corn bourbon sets a sweet base, and adding predominant sweet notes from the rum finishing adds further layers of sweetness. Standout flavor notes include strawberry jam and maple butter on the nose, followed by Frosted Flakes cereal and apple peel on the palate.

Overall it’s a whiskey that doesn’t try to push any boundaries, instead striving for pure drinkability above all else. Considering there are still just a few ongoing rum finished whiskeys to choose from and it comes in at a manageable price point, it’s a solid addition to the category.