Hudson Maple Cask Rye 750ml

In the beginning, quite nice. The whiskey opens with sweet, dessert-like notes at first, with a strong cinnamon candy character followed by a lovely combination of rye and the smoky caramel of maple syrup. That pleasant entry is derailed, sadly, by an intense blast of charred, tannic oak culminating in a heavy, carbonic finish reminiscent of a charred barbecue rib. The effect is a leaden one, stripping away the pleasure of the midpalate and leaving a punishing dose of oak in its place. The finish is laden with oak and quite fiery, with the hot bite of very young rye.