For the Blind Pig Society's second tasting event, we tasted 5 single-malt scotches:

1. anCnoc 12 year (Highland)
2. Springbank 10 year (Campbeltown)
3. BenRiach 12 year - Sherry Wood (Speyside)
4. Auchentoshan 18 year (Lowland)
5. Laphroaig 15 year - limited edition (Islay)

For the Blind Pig Society's first tasting event, we will be tasting 6 whiskeys: 3 bourbons and 3 ryes.  From each whiskey category, we will taste 1 low(er) ABV expression, 1 high(er) ABV expression, and 1 expression finished in special barrels.  

1. Smooth Ambler Out Scout 10 year

• Type: Bourbon
• Bottler: Smooth Ambler Spirits (West Virginia)
• Distiller: Speculation is Midwest Grain Products Ingredients (MGP) (Indiana)
• Mash Bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malt
• Tasting Notes (per Old Scout): Smooth and sweet with a complex and lingering mid-palate range of nutty vanilla, honey and tobacco. 
• ABV: 50%
• Cost: $52

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2. Four Roses Single Barrel OBSV Gordon's
This is a private barrel selected and sold exclusively by Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors in Boston.  

• Type: Bourbon
• Bottler: Four Roses (Kentucky)
• Distiller: Four Roses (Kentucky)
• Mash Bill: TBD
• Tasting Notes: TBD
• ABV: 57.1%
• Cost: $70

3. Hillrock Solera
This bourbon is unique because it uses the solera system of aging, and is finished is in Oloroso Sherry barrels.

• Type: Bourbon
• Bottler: Hillrock Estate Distillery (New York)
• Distiller: Source unknown
• Mash Bill: 37% rye
• Tasting Notes (per Hillrock):
  • Nose: caramel, dried fruit, vanilla, oak and spice, accented by an elegant floral note
  • Palate: Opens with rich notes of brown sugar, molasses and toffee, followed by roasted corn, clove, cinnamon, and a touch of spicy rye
  • Finish: Oloroso sherry notes of walnut, fig and candied fruit with caramel and butterscotch.  
• ABV: 46%
• Cost: $84

4. Lot 40 Canadian Rye

• Type: Rye
• Bottler: Corby Distilleries (Canada)
• Distiller: Hiram Walker Distillery (Canada)
• Mash Bill: 90% rye grain, 10% malted rye
• Tasting Notes: TBD
• ​ABV: 43%
• Cost: $56

5. Willett Family Estate Bottled Small Batch Rye - 3 Year, Cask Strength

• Type: Rye
• Bottler: Willett Distillery (Kentucky)
• Distiller: Willett Distillery (Kentucky)
• Mash Bill: Commingled high rye Willett mash bill (74% rye, 11% corn, 11% malted barley) with low rye Willett mash bill (51% rye, 34% corn, 15% malted barley).  A larger percentage of the high rye mash bill was used.  
• Tasting Notes (per Willett): 
  • ​Nose: leather notes, sweet notes up front with spice notes following a little later, mint, woodsy cologne
  • Palate: tingling rye spice on the front with nice sweet notes emerging, corn shows its face a tad, but much less so than the 2-year expression; evergreens, cinnamon, anise, dill, spearmint 
  • Finish: lively finish with a back and forth of sweet and spicy elements dancing in harmony
• ABV: 56.3%
• Cost: $42

6. WhistlePig 12 Year Old World Rye
This rye is finished in Madeira, Sauternes, and Port barrels, making for a very smooth and unique expression.

• Type: Rye
• Bottler: WhistlePig Farm (Vermont)
• Distiller: Speculation is Midwest Grain Products (MGP) (Indiana)
• Mash Bill: 95% rye and 5% malted barley
• Tasting Notes (per WhistlePig):
  • ​Nose: Caramel, vanilla and winter fruit
  • Palate: Rye spice, apricots, plums, raisins, dates, and honey
  • Finish: Dark chocolate, winter fruit, caramel, and vanilla
• ABV: 43%
• Cost: $115