Frank August continues to impress with every new release. Their first rye was a tiny batch of Limited Edition, and now they're back with an always available small batch rye and winning equal praise from all who taste it. What I love about Frank's rye is that it isn't trying to be bourbon. So many Kentucky ryes rely on this to appeal to bourbon drinkers, but what they fail to realize is that if they'd make rye for rye drinkers, there would be more bourbon drinkers who consider themselves rye drinkers.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Opens slowly in the glass and offers beautiful evergreen and deep herbal character. As it unfolds, the sweetness of the oak melds lovingly with the dense peppery rye grain, giving it an almost antique vibe along with hints of nougat, chocolate, dill, pecan brittle, and clove.
Palate: Beautifully dusty and unabashedly rye driven with a huge core of dried citrus and stone fruit in the middle intermingled with robust savoury herbs and tobacco.
Finish: The medium finish offers soft pepper, dried mint, bitter orange, and smouldering oak. A truly lovely and unapologetic rye that straddles the modern and historic styles extremely lovingly.
The brand claims for all intent of purposes, that this is a bottled in bond bourbon, but due to contractual obligations couldn’t disclose its DSP number preventing it from featuring it on their label. Comprised of just 10-15 barrels, it's definitely a small batch bourbon that showcases both the rounding off some edges while also allowing it to keep some character more akin to single barrels or very small batches. I can see a lot of people enjoying a sip of Frank August Small Batch Bourbon. It’s very drinkable, inoffensive, and maintains a good balance of classic and semi-unique flavours in its blend. Much like its bottle design, it's delicate and sophisticated. It's a tight package overall that knows what it is, knows what it set out to do, and accomplishes it with precision.
