Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Finished with Sherry French Reserve Oak is a whiskey with a beautiful and complex nosing experience featuring a blend of three mash bills from two different states. At 108 proof, this whiskey drinks right at its alcohol content.
Nose
The nose of Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Finished with Sherry French Reserve Oak, starts with a fruity, almost tropical fruit aroma. There is a subtle minty rye note that is layered below the fruit. However, the fruit is the first thing you distinguish. The nose turns to an almost dark dried fruit creaminess mixed with a bit of char. It’s interesting how it goes from that tropical fruit essence to a thicker, dried fruit aroma. Still, a very, very soft rye mint note is always present. The nose evolves after you sip it, and the rye becomes more robust as a bit of brown sugar peeks through. After letting the glass sit for a few minutes, I picked it up and, boom, strong chocolate notes. The nose is definitely a moving target throughout this tasting experience. It is an adventure.
Palate
The palate was different than I expected. Initially, I am getting a toasted semi-sweet brown sugar flavor. It is very dry from the mid-palate on as any sweetness disappears. It grows more minty and peppery the deeper you get into the tasting experience. I wanted Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Finished with Sherry French Reserve Oak to have more sweetness to balance out the mint and nutty pepper. However, if you stay with the tasting, it becomes creamier as a bit of salty sweetness darts through. I didn’t sense this until I sat the glass down for a couple minutes and then went back to it.
Finish
The finish is warm, and you can feel the rye spice warmth as it hits the back of your throat and waterfalls down your esophagus. The herbal mint spice lingers on the finish of Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Finished with Sherry French Reserve Oak.