20 years in the making, almost old enough to drink itself, the Orphan Barrel Rhetoric bourbon is the third Orphan Barrel to be released next month from Diageo. Distilled in Louisville, Kentucky, the Orphan Barrel Collection gets its name from being lost and forgotten whiskey. As distillers choose barrels to bottle or blend, it seems that once in awhile, a few get left behind. (No barrels left behind, that’s my motto!) The orphans have been found again and given a new home, in the Orphan Barrel series of bourbons. Diageo has bottled up whiskies from the likes of Four Roses, Dickel and Stitzel-Weller, to name a few. Immediately following the release of Old Blowhard and Barterhouse, Rhetoric offers a lighter, creamier taste. The Rhetoric Barrel Collection was found in the Stitzel-Weller facility and it’s aged to perfection.
Color: Light with a tint of ruby.
Nose: Packs a punch of oak, cinnamon, and smoke.
Taste: Smooth on the tongue with an immediate hint of smoked vanilla and toasted rye. As the bourbon sits on the tongue you begin to taste cherry blossom and bitter chocolate. Rhetoric definitely packs a punch in the best possible way, leaving you wanting more.
ABV: 45% or 90 proof
Price Point: Suggested retail value of 85.00 USD
We give Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 9 pancakes out of 10.
Review by Jonathan Miller
