Sweet oak | Summer fruits | Cherry cobbler | Maple sugar candy | Cinnamon | Menthol

Orange rind | Cinnamon stick | Mixed berry jam | Sweet oak

Rye spice | Sandalwood | Charred oak | Slightly dry | Lingering pine & spearmint

Double oaked bourbon continues to be ever-popular, and many producers are moving to double oaked rye as their next target. Results have been mixed so far as the oak tends to dominate some of rye’s finer fruit or baking spice flavors. Though rye’s spiciness tends to pull through just fine, there needs to be more than just spice and oak to truly elevate a doubled oaked rye.  

Pursuit Spirits decided they were up to the task and used a new French oak barrel that had been lightly toasted and heavily charred for maximum impact. The nose starts soft but opens with a wealth of scents, ranging from sweet oak (of course), to a mix of summer fruits, cherry cobbler, maple sugar candy, and cinnamon. From there, the palate instantly communicates that this is a deep-seated flavor profile with orange rind, cinnamon stick, and mixed berry jam. As expected, the finish is washed in rye spice and a range of different oak types, which is really what you want out of a double oaked whiskey.

Pursuit United Double Oaked Rye still isn’t quite the double oaked rye I’ve been searching for, but that’s not to say it doesn’t get a lot right. The nose is spot on, the palate offers just enough flavor diversity, and the finish’s range of oak notes hits its mark. I’m still looking for a bit more vibrancy in a double oaked rye to help balance the heavy oak, but Pursuit Spirits definitely gets it closer to that target than producers 10x their size.

The bottle in review comes from Batch #10CE.