Caramel | Steeped tea | Raisin Bran cereal | Pretzel dough

Grain-forward | Funky undertone | Vanilla cream | Honey | Malty undertone | Rich & full-flavored

Allspice | Baked bread | Graham cracker | Long

West Fork Whiskey Co. was established in 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana, by three Indiana natives, brothers Blake Jones and Julian Jones, and childhood best friend David McIntyre. The company produces a number of bourbon and ryes under the West Fork Whiskey Co. name, along with the Old Hamer line of bourbon, which carries a 99% corn and 1% malted barley mashbill.

West Fork Whiskey Co.’s cask strength bourbon is a full-flavored affair. It clocks in at a little over 4 years old, and shows all kinds of promise but is still somewhat rough around the edges. Don’t let that deter you, however, as this is an enjoyable whiskey nonetheless, and it’s satisfying to taste the company’s in-house distillate at cask strength. Highlights include a wonderful caramel note on the nose, as well as a rich vanilla cream flavor on the palate, along with a unique funky undertone. The long finish brings out allspice upfront, followed by a delicious graham cracker note.

Sometimes a bottled whiskey isn’t a finished product, but instead it’s a snapshot in time. This is a small release, and only a small number of consumers are able to experience it. However, it showcases what West Fork Whiskey Co. is up to, and has me excited for more releases to come. On top of that, $50 per bottle for a cask strength 4 year old bourbon from an up-and-coming distillery is an unusually low price point.