Honey | Mint | Cinnamon | Touch florial | Toasted oak | Vanilla wafer | Butterscotch

Baked apricot | Grilled peach | Nutmeg | Light lemon | Flavor builds

Rich butterscotch | Clove honey | Allspice | Rye spice | Lingering sweet cinnamon

Now in its third release, Blue Note Honey Rye Cask continues to evolve. When the first volume was released in 2024, finishing rye in honey barrels wasn’t a common occurrence. Since then, more producers have discovered that contrasting spicy rye with the sweetness of honey makes for a compelling sip. But because honey is inherently organic, one batch can vary widely from the next, making it hard to replicate an outstanding release year to year. Yet, if you’re buying each year’s release, variation might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Last year’s release was very honey-forward and sweet, nearly overshadowing the base rye. Though some prefer that, a better balance between the two flavor bases usually results in a more satisfying pour overall. This year’s edition pulls back the honey from last year, and though it is still quite sweet,  it doesn’t lose its vigor. Honey still dominates, but the rye’s spicy backbone still comes through, providing the contrast that makes honey-finished ryes work so well.

Other aspects of this year’s releases are the palate's more pronounced baked apricot and grilled honey notes. They don’t necessarily stand out over the honey and rye spice, but they are part of the sip's strong flavor baseline. Other flavors include rich butterscotch on the finish, plus nutmeg and allspice notes that help round out the overall sip.

Though this year’s release doesn’t quite match the excellent 2024 release, it's moving in the right direction. A strong honey note can overpower the whiskey and even become polarizing. This year’s release is thoroughly enjoyable and remains a great value at $65, making it an easy recommendation for fans of honey-finished whiskey.