Rabbit Hole’s Distillery Series Kicks Off With Starlino, A Vermouth Cask-Finished Rye

Rabbit Hole out of Kentucky recently partnered with Hotel Starlino Vermouth to make a one-of-a-kind whiskey that will recall a vintage Manhattan.

Crafted by Torino Distillati, a family-owned distillery near Turin, Italy, Hotel Starlino Rosso Vermouth is a blend of Marsala and Trebbiano wines infused with an array of botanicals and finished for six months in bourbon barrels.

The Starlino casks were shipped to Rabbit Hole where their Kentucky Straight Rye mingled with the vermouth’s aromatics, absorbing flavors during a six-month aging process.

Rabbit Hole out of Kentucky recently partnered with Hotel Starlino Vermouth to make a one-of-a-kind whiskey that will recall a vintage Manhattan. (image via Rabbit Hole)

The limited edition, small batch expression comes as a cask strength spirit, which the distiller’s notes say helps to preserve the deep flavors of licorice, black pepper, and tropical fruit that fade into a warm, nutty finish.

Uniquely, the new expression allows Rabbit Hole to experiment a “reverse process” of aging their rye whiskey in vermouth barrels that had previously aged bourbon.

Going forward, Rabbit Hole’s Distillery Series will debut a collection of spirits that look to push what’s described as the boundaries of craft and creativity. Each release in the series will be a limited edition, small batch, cask strength whiskey offered in 375ml bottles.

Rabbit Hole bottled 2,112 bottles of Starlino and it will be available in Kentucky only, intermittently at their distillery and through select retailers.

For more information, check out www.rabbitholedistillery.com.