Castle Key Small Batch 4 Years Bourbon

Overview
Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon represents the distillery's inaugural bourbon release, a 4-year-old straight bourbon drawn from Batch #1 of just 80 barrels. It demonstrates the team's ability to produce balanced, mature flavors from their restored historic site in Kentucky.

Specs at a glance

Good to know
Castle & Key Distillery revived the former Old Taylor Distillery grounds in Frankfort, Kentucky, purchasing the site in 2014 with backing from significant investors focused on heritage production. Prior to this bourbon, the distillery gained recognition through contract whiskey for brands like Pinhook and Blue Run, alongside their own Restoration Rye and gin offerings. The small batch size underscores a commitment to quality over volume in their early sourced releases.

Tasting notes

• Nose: Crisp fresh scents mingle with light grain, oatmeal, fresh dough.
• Palate: Balanced development highlights the white corn-forward mashbill's softness against subtle rye spice, with malt-driven sweetness emerging in expert assessments.
• Finish: Lingering grain and freshness provide clean persistence beyond typical young craft bourbons.

Notable details

• Production: Distilled at Castle & Key in Kentucky; non-specified filtration aligns with straight bourbon standards.
• Lineage: Sourced from the restored Old Taylor Distillery campus, emphasizing thoughtful revival of Kentucky whiskey heritage.
• Comparison: Outperforms many new-distillery bourbons at its MSRP of around $50.

"The 4-year-old bourbon shows surprising development and balance beyond typical craft expectations." – Breaking Bourbon

Closing
A promising entry-level bourbon that punches above its age and price, ideal for craft enthusiasts tracking emerging Kentucky producers.

Sources

[1] Breakingbourbon – "Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon (Batch #1) Review | Breaking Bourbon"

[2] Thebourbonroad – "Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon Review - The Bourbon Road"

[3] Thewhiskeywash – "Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon Batch 1 Review | Expert Tasting Notes"

[4] Drinkhacker – "Review: Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon Batch 1 and 2 and Restoration Rye 2022 Batch 1"

[5] Thebourbonfinder – "Castle & Key Bourbon (Batch 1) Review - The Bourbon Finder"