Editor’s Note: We received a review sample of this whiskey from the brand. However, in accordance with our editorial policies, this has not influenced the outcome of our review in any way.
Kentucky Peerless is one of those that come back from the dead type, family-owned Kentucky distillery stories you like to end up being a success, which, in this case, they are. Initially established in 1889 by Henry Kraver, who carried what would eventually become the brand’s legacy until he died in 1938, it was later resurrected in 2013 by Corky Taylor, 4th Generation, and Carson Taylor, 5th Generation.
Having succeeded in 2014 in getting back the original Peerless Kentucky Distilled Spirits Plant Number from the first Peerless Distillery in Henderson, Kentucky, in the 1800s, Peerless (DSP-KY-50) put to barrel in 2015 its first new whiskey since 1917 (the year Kraver stopped producing alcohol). What is now the new Peerless distillery in Louisville opened to the public that same year, resulting in what is, years later, a popular Kentucky whiskey tourist destination and a producer of multiple award-winning spirits.
What’s in the bottle
The whiskey being reviewed here, Kentucky Peerless Rum Barrel Finished Bourbon (Batch 2), is the distillery’s second barrel-finished bourbon to be released following their Double Oak Bourbon. It is said that, after the Double Oak’s initial success, a greater limited focus for Kentucky Peerless became exposing its bourbon to two separate casks, allowing for two complete barrel extractions to enhance notes and complexity.
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With the rum barrel finish, now on its second batch release, the Peerless tasting team “strategically selects barrels that are complemented well by the extra barrel character to be aged” in the rum cask.
“Our team of distillers has done an exceptional job curating the barrels for this project,” said Carson Taylor when this bourbon was released. “Their passion is evident through our selection of barrel-finished expressions. The Rum Barrel Finished Bourbon offers a nice, balanced palate. Not too overwhelming, this easy sipper pairs perfectly with the warmer weather. We look forward to sharing it with you and hope you enjoy it as much as we do.”
Key characteristics of this bourbon include its non-chill filtered, heralds from a sweet mash, and bottled at barrel proof. In the case of the review sample, it clocks in at 109.1 proof and is priced to sell through the distillery at $149.
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