Rabbit Hole Cavehill Review: 'Spices, Chestnut and Sweetness'

Not all whiskies are created equal, and this is especially true for the American variety known as bourbon. The Rabbit Hole Distillery in Kentucky produces a series of premium expressions with love and extreme care. In this Rabbit Hole Cavehill Review, you'll experience how this bourbon enchants you just like Alice in Wonderland.

The ball of life can bounce in strange directions, and the whiskey bug is highly contagious. The story of the Rabbit Hole Distillery combines these two phrases. Iranian psychologist Kaveh Zamanian was not a fan of the water of life. That changed the day he met his wife Heather, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, who introduced him to bourbon. It was love at first sight.

Zamanian immersed himself into the world of American whiskey, wanting to know all about it. He soon realized that many bourbons tasted similar, and decided it was time for change. He gave up his career to move his family to Kentucky and start his own distillery: the Rabbit Hole Distillery.

With the expressions from the Rabbit Hole Distillery, Zamanian strives to set a higher standard than ever before. His blends are far from run-of-the-mill bourbons, but premium spirits instead. He uses a special process for the expression, allowing creativity to take the lead.

The barrels for aging are slowly toasted over an open flame before their inside staves are charred. With Rabbit Hole Cavehill, the distillery pays tribute to the pioneers who put Kentucky on the whiskey map.

The spirit recipe consists of no less than four different grains: 70 percent corn, 10 percent malted wheat, 10 percent malted honey barley and 10 percent malted barley. This gives the bourbon a lingering rich taste.

Apart from Cavehill, Rabbit Hole Distillery has three other expressions in its core range. All these drams come in the same bottle: a crisp, elongated shape embellished with an etching of a rabbit jumping into a hole. The label in the center features a unique color. Green is for the Boxergrail expression, red for the Daringer, blue for the Heigold, and black for the Cavehill we have today.

Each bottle comes with a wooden cork containing a print of the Rabbit Hole Distillery rabbit, quite aptly nesting in the hole of the bottleneck.

With the bottle open and the rabbit out of the hole, it's time to taste. Greetings from Kentucky arrive in a flurry of sweet aromatic notes. Light hints of raisins, sweet red apples, caramel toffee and berries greet you, not what you'd typically associate with a bourbon.

On first sip, the whiskey teases you with a peppery zing that quickly transitions into a mint-like flavor. Alongside this, we have the flavors of freshly squeezed orange juice, toffee, and muesli with banana and honey. It's almost like a luxurious Sunday morning breakfast, sans the coffee.

As Rabbit Hole Cavehill sits on your tongue, it lends a creamy layer, making each subsequent sip a tad smoother. A touch of spice from the oak emerges towards the finish but never overshadows. The whiskey may lack depth of flavor, but it is engaging nonetheless.

This is far from a bad thing. On the contrary, it makes this expression a commendable introduction to the American elixir.

While Rabbit Hole Cavehill may lack complex depth, it's definitely a dram to secure in your collection. It's refreshingly different from what you'd expect from bourbon with its predominantly sweet profile and distinctive taste that would not only be fantastic in a summer cocktail, but also introduce those new to bourbon or those prefer sweeter whiskies.

+ Anything but a 'standard' bourbon

+ Dangerously easy to drink

+ An elegant bottle

- Not exceptionally rich in flavor