James E Old Pepper Finest Kentucky Oak Rye 750ml

James E Old Pepper Finest Kentucky Oak Rye has a murky amber appearance. Swishing the glass left a sticky, thick coat that dropped only a single, long tear. It’s an aromatic whiskey, but it was also a little hot, so I put some drops of water in. That toned down the alcohol and brought out the gingerbread, molasses, vanilla and cedar. Underneath this were hints of toasty oak and pepper, giving dry tinge to a thorough nosing of the whiskey. The flavor is richly sweet, a certain product of the double oaked aging. Molasses and vanilla with a touch of apricot flood the tongue initially, but this subsides to leave more modest notes of oak and pepper. After that, just a hint of barrel char rises on the back of the palate. With things turning tannic on the palate, the finish dawns spicy, appropriately enough. Initially that takes the form of fruit pie spices, but these slowly turn over to lightly peppered ending.