The standard approach to American whiskey uses blending and a fixed proof to replicate an established flavor profile batch after batch. Breaking with this tradition, Pinhook treats each set of barrels as a new vintage, shaped by the natural variations in the ingredients and the elements. Working in small batches, they craft each vintage to express the best whiskey rather than the same whiskey and set the proof to optimize the unique attributes of that group of barrels.
Likewise, the True Single Barrel Vertical Series makes distinctive and unique barrels available on a highly allocated basis. This 8-Year Bourbon is the fifth of nine vintages in the True Single Barrel Vertical Series, which follows a group of barrels aged from 4 to 12 years.
From Lee Diaz, Topflight Series Panel Member:
For quite some time, I have been fascinated by the unique direction of Sean Josephs to develop a bourbon that paid homage to his favorite virtues of wine. As an established restaurateur and bar-owner sommelier, he has focused on creating unique “vintages” to celebrate the flavors of the whiskey that has developed rather than focusing on a specific consistent profile across multiple batches. That means that when you purchase a Pinhook release this year, it will be unlike last year and the year before.
The same can be said of the Pinhook True Single Barrel Barrel Series. This is a program that once again celebrates the notion of vintages in bourbon by following the evolution of barrels as they age from 4 years to 12 years (and hopefully beyond). Due to some serendipitous moments and conversations, we had the opportunity to enter into this program starting with their 5th release. The result of our selection in this 5th vintage release is an 8-year bourbon unlike most any you have had at this age. At 110.6-proof, it delivers a tasting experience that will leave you pining for that next sip, and planning for your next Pinhook buy. The nose is vibrant and floral with notes of brown sugar, herbal tea, honey, stone fruit, lavender. This leads into soft balanced flavors of crème brûlée, graham cracker, maple syrup, dark fruit, chocolate. The finish then evolves into notes of toasted oak, apricot, caramel, pipe tobacco, and marzipan. This drinks like a bourbon that has quite a few more years to it, without those over-oaky tanic notes you might expect from an older pour—it's such a fun balance between classic bourbon with deeper complex notes.
As you enjoy this bottle, be sure to save a few drams of it so you can compare it to our upcoming 9YO True Single Barrel Vertical Series release (the 6th of 9 vintages).
TOPFLIGHT: Series 2, Barrel No. 32
PROOF: 110.60
AGE: 8 Years
MASHBILL: 75% Corn, 20.5% Rye, 4.5% Malted Barley
FINISHING BARREL: New American Oak
CHAR / TOAST:
WAREHOUSE LOCATION: Distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN. Aged and Bottled in Crestwood, KY.
BARRELED ON: June 29th, 2015
DATE PULLED: September 18, 2023
