Cat and I decided to take our kids who are still at home and our grandchild to Hot Springs for a short vacation, and while there I got to stop back by Hot Springs Distilling that I visited last fall. I was glad to see the tasting room busy in the early afternoon which bodes well for their future. Batch 6 is very different from the mostly wheated MGP bourbon in Batch 4, in that this one is a blend of three different high rye MGP bourbons, the youngest being five years old, one being six years old, and one nine years old. After blending and cutting to proof, this whiskey is 96.4 proof. This bottle costs $64 before tax, which is in the right price range for a bottle like this.

The color on this is more copper than amber, probably owing to the fact that it was proofed down a bit, but a nice color nevertheless. On the swirl a film forms and drops leaving behind lots of oily droplets. On the nose is maple syrup, a touch of vanilla and caramel, and some floral and baking spice notes. On the palate, the maple syrup is there at the front but changes into floral honey as it coats the palate, with some nice vanilla in there that tastes candied, and some grassy notes where the high rye mashbill asserts itself. On the finish, the floral honey fades and the grassy notes along with some clove linger on this very long finish for a sub-100 proof whiskey.

This batch is very different from Batch 4. And that is what makes visiting craft distilleries and non-distiller bottlers fun to me, not just one time, but making subsequent visits. There is always something new and different to try, but also watching those whiskey producers evolve and grow is really something special.

The other thing I like to do in my travels is to buy a Glencairn or other glassware from major distilleries, craft distillers, and and craft producers with their logo on it. Last time, Hot Springs Distilling didn’t have one, but now they do, and am glad to add it to my collection. When I pull one out of the cabinet, it evokes a happy memory of that place, that time, that whiskey, and the people I met. Some people collect spoons, or plates, or even snow globes to commemorate where they have been. I collect Glencairn glasses. Am glad to have one from Hot Springs Distilling.