Orange rind | Rye grain | Baking spices | Dark chocolate covered cherries

French oak | Chocolate | Graham cracker | Marshmallow

French oak | Dark raspberries | Dark chocolate

RD1, which stands for Registered Distillery One, was founded in 2020 and is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Originally Ashland Distillery, it later changed ownership and became known as the William Tarr Distillery, which coincidentally, was Lexington’s first federally registered distillery.

Aging and finishing with French oak has become very popular over the past few years and for good reason, as it provides a rich and uniquely oak-filled sip. As expected, French oak dominates in this French oak finished bourbon, but it’s the sip’s oily mouthfeel that makes it memorable and instantly impactful. The nose offers the most diverse range of flavors, but many will take note of the palate’s smores-like flavor profile. Not to come up short, the finish does well, offering dark raspberries and dark chocolate to coincide with the French oak notes. Given the whiskey’s age and time finished with French oak staves, I wasn’t expecting what I got. The finishing time seems nicely dialed in, and the whiskey’s oily mouthfeel is top notch. It lacks ample depth and complexity, but given its quality for its asking price, most will enjoy what is on offer here.