Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection Adourra
Once considered an upstart whiskey producer, Kentucky based Rabbit Hole is no longer the new kid on (or at least near) Louisville’s Whiskey Row. The brand was founded in 2012 by Dr. Kaveh Zamanian, a former clinical psychologist, and Rabbit Hole start operating its current distillery around 2018. These days, the Pernod Ricard-owned company distills and ages a variety of bourbon and rye, with a focus on unique and experimental mashbills under names like Cavehill (four-grain bourbon), Heingold (high-rye bourbon), and Boxergrail (rye whiskey).
And while the brand has moved toward its own distillate for primary releases, it still sources choice stock from other producers for its annual Founders Collection, all of which are bottled at cask strength. The releases garner notice for their consistently delicious flavor, limited offerings of under 2,000 bottles, and premium price tags, which can eclipse $1,000.
Whether any American whiskey in the 8 to 15 age range is worth upwards of $500 is a hotly debated topic among both drinkers and collectors. But let’s sidestep that conversation for a second and assess this whiskey purely on the drinking experience.
On a recent trip to Rabbit Hole, I was able to sample through five of the Founders Collection bottlings, including a pre-release tasting of the newest addition, titled Adourra.
Adourra starts as a 9 year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, sourced from an undisclosed distillery. It’s then finished in Armagnac casks—again, for an undisclosed period—before bottling at 108 proof. While Amagnac-finished whiskey isn’t exactly a new concept, Adourra stood out to me for its ability to elevate (and not overpower) the bourbon within.
Of course, tasting at the end of a stacked lineup is one thing. Sampling in a controlled environment is another. Re-tasting Adourra at home and with a fresh palate, I was almost as impressed as the first sampling.
The early nose reminds me of figgy pudding, doused in peanut caramel sauce and Kentucky bourbon. Early, deeply roasted nuts quickly transition to brandy-soaked fruit (dates, plums, golden raisins, currants, and orange peel) and then further into dark chocolate and pipe tobacco. It’s altogether tannic, fruity, nutty, and decadent, the kind of whiskey I could nose for 15 minutes or more.
The first sip starts with peanut butter and those dark fruits in roughly equal proportion, with enough oak to keep things from veering too far into dessert territory. It reminds me of some well-aged Jim Beam products I’ve tried, though the Armagnac influence is clearly elevating that underlying nine year whiskey. (The source of the base bourbon, to be clear, remains undisclosed; especially with finished whiskeys, it’s always tough to hazard a guess.)
Adourra boasts a viscous mouthfeel, and there were a couple points along the midpalate where it felt like wood sugars (and perhaps some residual brandy) almost accumulated too heavily at points. But Adourra walks that fine line well, taking tastebuds to the edge of cloying without tipping over. The whiskey ends on a lengthy, nutty, tobacco-forward finish, with a little residual plum thrown in for good measure.
Adourra is available at Rabbit Hole’s distillery and in select U.S. markets. Each bottle is individually numbered, with a suggested retail price of $899.99.
