We have not discussed a spirit in months. It is time to correct that flaw…
A couple of weeks ago Joy and I had the opportunity to spend some time with friends in a beautiful planned community located on Lake Lanier, north of Atlanta. We toured the area, ate in a couple of excellent local eateries, and had the opportunity to share a new Bourbon that was both reasonably priced and approachable.
Rabbit Hole Cavehill is produced in Louisville, Kentucky. The distillery was founded in 2012 by psychologist Kaveh Zamanian (and his ‘muse’…wife Heather) who enjoyed both Bourbon and Rye, ultimately left a 20-year career in psychology, and built a “magnificent distillery in the heart of Louisville as a homage to the art and science of distillation”.
He developed “unique whiskey recipes that are made 100% in Kentucky”. He hired Vendome Copper and Brass Works, fourth generation fabricators noted for their extraordinary and exquisite work, to create 24-inch copper column stills. Kelvin Cooperage, an outstanding barrel maker that relocated to Kentucky from Scotland, and is responsible for the American charred oak barrels that are key to the excellent flavor package.
The Rabbit Hole Cavehill is a straight Bourbon.
Straight Bourbon is defined as a product distilled from “from a fermented (malted or unmalted) cereal grain mash to a concentration not exceeding 80% ABV and aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years at a concentration not exceeding 62.5% at the start of the ageing process”. For a product to be labeled as Bourbon also requires a mash bill with no less than 51% corn.
The Cavehill is named for Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery, that Zamanian claims is “the resting place of more distillers than anywhere in the country”. Zamanian continues that he lives jsut down the street from the cemetery, and “has a lot of reverence there. These are the individuals that paved the way”.
The entire range of Rabbit Hole products was renamed by new owners (as of 2019) Pernod Ricard. The Paris based distiller and marketing group owns the blended Scotch Chivas Regal and the single malt Abelour, but has been out of the American whiskey business since they sold Wild Turkey in 2009. The renaming is, as the Cavehill suggests, an effort to “honor the most influential figures in Louisville”.
Rabbit Hole produces this Kentucky straight bourbon from four grains (70% corn, 10% malted wheat, 10% honey malted barley, and 10% malted barley). The American Oak barrels are charred to #3 (out of four) and the smokey whiskey is bottled at 47.5% ABV.
You will find an amber color and elements of orange and honey on the nose. This is both rich and sweet. The orange and honey tones continue on the palate with the addition of that hint of smoke, vanilla, and white pepper. You will enjoy the honey and an element of almond on the finish.
Rabbit Hole products are slowly making their way into most markets (although not yet in South Carolina). The Cavehill can be found for less than $60.
While on the road from north Georgia to Charleston, we were fortunate to stumble across the Six and Twenty Distillery in Powdersville, South Carolina (northwest portion of the state). The distillery is named for a Cherokee legend and has been in operation since 2011. They will soon be moving to a larger facility in Greenville, SC.
I have been a fan of the Six and Twenty 5-Grain Bourbon (corn, soft winter wheat, barley, rye, and rice), and had the opportunity to sample their new Heirloom Straight Rye (very limited). Nice nutty and caramel element. Available for $60 in limited markets.
Both the Rabbit Hole Cavehill and the Six and Twenty Rye are worth tracking down.