Maple butter | Rye spice | Allspice | Nutmeg | Dark cherries | Vanilla bean | Light oaky funk | Sweet & inviting

Sweet cream | Honey | Allspice | Splash of rye | Funky aged oak | Thick, buttery mouthfeel

Allspice | Vanilla custard | Light brown sugar | Cherry cola | Smooth with a dash of spice

Kentucky Owl Mardi Gras XO Rum Cask Limited Edition starts as Kentucky Owl’s 11 year old rye whiskey, which was then finished in 38 freshly emptied Bayou Mardi Gras XO Rum casks. According to the press release, the whiskey was finished for over a year, entering the rum barrels in March and aging through two summers.

Like many of Kentucky Owl’s releases, Mardi Gras XO Cask Limited Edition is incredibly well balanced. The impact of the rum finish is prominent throughout, bringing an array of sweet notes into the mix that meld cohesively with the underlying rye foundation. In addition, a pleasant oaky funk hints on the nose and further materializes on the palate. The funk showcases the rye’s age, adding an interesting layer of complexity to the whiskey’s more dominant sweet-spicy mix. At $500, it will be a hard no for most people, but for those with the resources necessary to pick one up, they won’t be disappointed by the delicious sip that Kentucky Owl Mardi Gras XO Rum Cask Limited Edition delivers.