Peppery oak | Dark berries | Burnt caramel | Touch of toasted marshmallow

Chewy caramel | Tobacco | Baking spices | Burnt oak | Full-flavored

Rush of spice | Baking spices | Black pepper | Lingering spice | Long

High n’ Wicked describes itself as “an importer and specialty bottler of exceptional whiskies.” Altamar Brands was founded by L. Lyons Brown, III and Kevin E. Sachs in 2019, both of whom were former Brown-Forman senior executives. The company is extremely transparent in the fact that they source their whiskey, but also in listing many of the details a consumer would be interested in knowing about the whiskey they are purchasing, down to the style of mash, barrel char, and type of still that was used to distill the whiskey.

This cask strength version is slightly lower in proof than High N’ Wicked Cask Strength Bourbon (2023), but matched pretty closely in flavor profile and overall drinking experience. High N’ Wicked Cask Strength is distilled using sweet mash and with a copper column still, aged in char #4 barrels, and non-chill filtered for bottling. The sip starts with peppery oak, dark fruit, burnt caramel, and a touch of toasted marshmallow. A tobacco note joins chewy caramel, baking spices, and burnt oak on the palate. It’s a full-flavored affair, and as the whiskey rolls around on your tongue, quite a bit of spice develops with lingering baking spices and black pepper notes. It’s a straightforward affair and one that bourbon drinkers who enjoy a high proof traditional Kentucky bourbon will enjoy.