Rabbit Hole – Mizunara
Quick Stats:
Distiller: Rabbit Hole Distillery
Spirit: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Aged: 16 Years
Price: Around $1,500
Proof: 114.2
Rabbit Hole Distillery Website
About The Distillery
“Rabbit Hole is a legacy in the making. In a matter of years, Kaveh and his family have accomplished what takes most generations to achieve. With an innovative mindset and Michael, Cameron, and Henri by his side, he has shaken the bourbon industry to its core. From the onset, his love for spirits led him to create something new. With a mission to redefine the standard for American Whiskey, he envisioned every detail of the Rabbit Hole Distillery, which has been heralded as the new architectural icon on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, then elegantly made distinct, innovative recipes for each of his whiskeys at a time when only a few existed.”
About The Bottle
“For this Founder’s Collection edition, our Founder, Kaveh Zamanian, an avid collector of rare bottles and barrels of whiskey, has selected a handful of 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey barrels from his personal trove and finished them in casks made of Japanese Mizunara Oak, the most elusive and coveted barrels on the planet, to create this one-of-a-kind double oaked cask strength bourbon.”
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Nose
(4.5)
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Palate
(5)
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Finish
(4.5)
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Heat vs Proof
(5)
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Value
(4)
Notes & Review
Nose: The nose is bold and full with notes of toasted sandalwood, brown sugar, cinnamon butter, ripe banana, botanical, and baking spices.
Palate: The palate is rich with strong notes of toasted coconut, torched vanilla, baking spices, brown butter, sandalwood, leather, and dark chocolate.
Finish: The finish is long with notes of decedent fired orange oil, dark cocoa, torched oak, tobacco, and burnt vanilla sugar.
Review: I have to say, this is definitely the most expensive whiskey we’ve ever tried. However, it’s also one of the most unique whiskies we’ve ever tried as well.
I’ve never experienced that unique sandalwood note in a whiskey before, and it’s a bit jarring since you’re expecting a strong oak presence after 15 years in an oak barrel. This is the double casking with the Mizunara wood doing what it does best, altering the whiskey experience.
Interestingly enough, the wood note isn’t even that strong. It’s more of a delicate play before the oak peaks out in the finish.
It’s a bold pour, but not overly hot. It’s full of delicious and traditional bourbon flavors like baked vanilla and baking spices, but also has unique things like torched coconut and dark chocolate that make it both savory and sweet.
We also have to talk about the presentation here. It absolutely has one of the most impressive displays I’ve ever seen. The engraved and embossed box give it a very regal and well-thought-out feel to it. The rabbit on the front is incredibly detailed and textured, and both panels remove to reveal the Mizunara bottle. If set behind a light, it allows the light to pass through the bottle making for a striking centerpiece.
The bottle itself is expertly crafted and heavy, and the cork is made of dense metal that has a surprising weight to it.
Is the bottle worth $1,500? That’s for you to determine. It’s a lot of money for something consumable. But, if you’re looking for something unique and money isn’t an issue, it is absolutely unlike anything we’ve ever tried before.
