Pinhook Flagship Rye Whiskey 750ml

Pinhook was founded in 2010 by veteran barman Sean Josephs, who built some of New York's most respected whiskey bars before turning his attention to crafting his own American whiskey. The brand takes its name and playful horse-themed labeling from the practice of pinhooking in thoroughbred racing, buying a promising young horse to raise and resell, a fitting metaphor for the patience and vision required in aging whiskey. Pinhook now distills at the newly restored Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, a site built in the late 1800s as the original home of Colonel E.H. Taylor.

Flagship Rye is made from Pinhook's proprietary mash bill of 60 percent rye, 20 percent corn, and 20 percent malted barley, using all non-GMO grain and Castle & Key's limestone-filtered spring water. Following the brand's vintage-driven approach, each year's batch is developed, distilled, and aged for a minimum of three years before Master Blender Sean Josephs oversees the final blending and proofing, meaning the exact character shifts slightly from release to release even as the underlying recipe stays consistent. The whiskey is bottled non-chill filtered to preserve its full flavor.

The nose offers ripe pear, vanilla, and clove alongside a touch of honey, while the palate turns toward cherry, black tea, and baked apple with toffee and white pepper. The finish is long and herbaceous, closing on lingering spice.