“A late night spent tasting some of chef Edward Lee’s culinary creations led Trey to the idea that someone should blend a bourbon that would pair well with the bold flavors in chef Lee’s cookbook and other modern cuisine. Without hesitation, Trey and Ed set forth. The result is a blend with a spicy upfront and a fruity finish, enhanced by the addition of rye whiskey into the mix. Perfect with meals, for mixing cocktails or simply drinking neat.” -Jefferson’s website, Trey Zoeller is the master distiller.

I became interested in this whiskey while watching “Mind of a Chef” and hearing Edward Lee talking about Bourbon, Kentucky, and his collaboration on this whiskey. If you haven’t seen the show, watch it on Netflix, it’s fantastic.

Company: Castle Brands

Distillery: NDP (blended by Luxco)

Location: Lousville, KY, blended in Cleveland, OH

Mash bill: A blend of rye whiskey aged 2+ years and Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.

Age: NAS.

ABV: 45% (90 proof)

Released: Limited release, we have batch No. 12.

Price: $43

Color: Honey Blonde (bear) rawr.

Nose: This has a little ethanol, but a spicy/sweet almost metallic smell to it. As it opens up vanilla, cherry, and a hint of apple come out.

Taste: Spicy rye and sweetness upfront, which lingers for-e-ver. Yum. Definitely some vanilla and cherry flavors. A little bit a maple syrup in there too.

Finish: Still going…..like the energizer bunny. The finish is heavy on the sweet spice, lingers on your tongue, and the spicy warmth spreads down your throat, leaving your lips hot and happy.

Overall:  The blend of rye and bourbon is balanced nicely creating a very lovely whiskey drinking experience. It’s delicious. I want to keep drinking it, so I have to stop myself and think about important things to say about it. Hmmmm. Umm, right, what was I talking about… How delicious this whiskey is??? Back to reality… I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from this whiskey blend, but it definitely exceeded my expectations and was a pleasant surprise. I’m very glad I grabbed this one the other day. (Like we really needed someone else in the family buying more whiskey…)

Sidenote: I swear when I first glanced at this bottle I thought it said “dragon” on it. Nerd alert! It totally says “oration” the last half of collaboration. Whoops.

(Most non-professional reviewer award goes to…)

Rating: 4/5