Raspberry | Crushed grape | Light brown sugar | Oak | Faint vanilla | Berry compote | Graham cracker crumbs

Sweet mixed berries | Rye spice | Intense dry oak | Leather | Raspberry sauce | Dry

Dry oak | Sweet stewed berries | Toasted sugar | Light rye spice | Grape pie | Intriguing

Based out of Covington, Kentucky, Wenzel Distillery was founded in 2022. It was the first distillery in Covington since Prohibition and resides in an old Packard automotive building. Following the release of Batch 1 of their Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon, the company is back with Batch 2. This 679 bottle release is sourced bourbon from the now shuttered Ghost Coast Distillery from Georgia, from which Wenzel acquired the assets and inventory in 2023. The company states that Batch 2 is a blend of barrels of varying ages (minimum 7 years) with finishing times ranging from 9 to 36 months.

Seeing as the bourbon was finished in sherry barrels for up to 36 months, it’s no surprise that it’s heavily influenced by this. Instantly noticeable is an aroma focused on fruit notes along with a pervasive oak note. The palate, however, takes things into warp drive, as things turn towards a level of dryness that many may not be used to. While sweet mixed berries and rye spice jump out, it’s the incredibly dry oak that seems to suck the moisture out of your mouth the longer you explore the flavors. As you move on to the finish, dry oak remains, but sweeter fruit notes also emerge along with a light rye spice. Notes of dry oak and ripe berries hang around in balance for an incredibly long time, with neither dominating the other, instead, forming a really pleasing conclusion to the sip that helps course-correct the misstep that the midpoint takes.

Wenzel Distillery Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon is a rollercoaster ride of a bourbon. The sherry influence is significant, and due to the dryness in the midpoint, you’d think it was composed of a majority of high aged over-oaked bourbon. Just when you think it’s on a decline, the finish jumps in and saves the day from disaster. For fans of distillate from shuttered distilleries (aka ghost distilleries), Batch 2 will be an intriguing affair. Its palate holds it back, but the finish makes up for its faults. Overall, this is a really interesting whiskey, and fans of sherry finishing, particularly dry sherry lovers, will be intrigued by what its sip has to offer.