Honey | Honey Smacks cereal | Toasted oak | Vanilla wafer

Clove honey | Butterscotch | Cinnamon slurry

Barrel-aged honey | Toasted cinnamon | Rye spice | Oak | Allspice

It’s been another banner year for honey-finished whiskeys, with producers fine-tuning their blends and finishing to better tailor to the flavors of honey. Last year, Blue Note came out of the gate strong with their 2024 edition of Blue Note Honey Rye Cask that found a good balance of its honey influence against its spicy rye whiskey-based flavors.  

The 2025 release continues what Blue Note started last year, but has made a few changes that result in a noticeably different tasting pour. While the aroma is largely the same, the palate and finish are much more honey-centric. Last year’s release found a great balance between its sweet and spicy flavors; this year’s release leans more into its honey finish and somewhat overshadows its rye base. Thankfully, it doesn’t go so far overboard that it tastes lopsided, and as a result, honey lovers will enjoy the intensity of the 2025 edition much more.

While I prefer the balance of last year’s release, which allowed its rye base to be more expressive, there is still a lot to love about this year’s release. It’s big and flavorful, and although honey-focused, it’s also careful not to go overboard with its sweetness.