Fresh oak | Cinnamon powder | Tart cherry | Leather | Cigar box | Subtle smoke | Black peppercorn

Tannic oak | Black pepper | Cinnamon syrup | Rye spice | Leather

Smoke | Sharp tannic oak | Cinnamon powder | Rye spice | Black peppercorn | Leather | Tingling heat | Dry | Incredibly long

Started by Michael Myers, a former New York City fashion and beauty photographer, 291 Whiskey is based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is the second time the company has released 291 All Rye, which they state is a play on an American single malt. Like the brand's other whiskey products, this whiskey is also finished with Aspen wood staves.

The rye opens on a blend of interesting and unique notes making for a combination you don’t see too often. Contrasting between spice and youthful oak, there’s a layer of scents that provides a level of intrigue in the form of tart cherry, subtle smoke, and cigar box. The palate allows the whiskey to truly display its proof, as a big rye spice and black pepper jump forward to combine with tannic oak and leather. The result is a midpoint that comes across as discombobulated and slightly off-putting. The finish leans heavily into this tannic oak component that seems to accelerate the dryness of the sip, which lingers for an uncomfortably long time. The whiskey carries with it an interesting combination of flavors that alone are fine, but when combined, produce a sip that doesn’t put its best foot forward, in fact, it’s far from it.

The total number of bottles produced for this release was 802.