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Co-founded by CEO David Peet and Chief Blender Macaulay Minton, Dark Arts Whiskey House is a Lexington, Kentucky-based independent blending, rebarreling, and finishing operation. They specialize in double-barrel and other exotic finishes, in this case white Port & Pinot Noir win casks. The distiller is MGP/Ross & Squibb in Indiana with Dark Arts then doing the aging, blending, and bottling in Kentucky. While the major batches have both white port and pinot noir finished components, split for finishing and then batched together, the private barrels are almost entirely based on just the pinot noir finished bourbon.
🛒Sourced: $49.99 for 750ml from Tower Beer, Wine, and Spirits, GA - discounted deeply from its shelf price of $95. Guess picks aren't moving.
🧪Proof: 112.04 proof, 56.02% ABV - usually between 111/114 proof, full but not too much.
🎨Color: R5 - Ruddy red brown, nice color indeed.
🥔Mash Bill & Production: 60% Corn, 4% Barley, 36% Rye - Very high rye bourbon.
- Age - 7.5 years stated on label
- Distillation Proof - 140
- Barrel Entry Proof - 120
- Batch: BP4
- Bottle: 336
- Char - #4 for the initial cask, unknown for the pinot
- Batch Size - Single Barrel
- Chill Filtered - No
👃Nose: There is a lot of rye character but it's layered with caramel and then an understated presence of vine and grape. It has perhaps a tad more astringency that I would expect, but I think some of that may just be white pepper from the rye.
😜Palate: Absolutely indulgent mouthfeel. It's super thick (full bodied). There is a caramel and toffee sweetness that I don't usually expect in a high-rye bourbon, so I'm wondering if some of that is residual sweetness from the Pinot. Dancing throughout is a hint of fresh clippings and grape flesh. If you chew, there is a flare of old wood and vanilla that burst into being. Without the chew, it comes across more as an anise in transition to the finish.
💦Finish: A gradually subsiding ooze of sweet herbs, dill, and brown sugar candy.
🏆 Overall: 8/10 - Great - This is my first whiskey from Dark Arts and it for sure will not be my last. This Pinot Noir Cask Strength Private barrel drinks below its proof, packs a sickening amount of thickness, and has layered flavors to boot. When compared to other wine finished bourbons I've tried, this one does a great job of accentuating the flavors of the finishing cask without being overwhelmed by them. The High-rye mash pairs beautifully. I really get more raw grape notes than I do post-fermentation wine, a flavor that appears only upon a belch.
💵Would buy again? Without hesitation sir.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously
🙈Blind Tastings:
- 10/12/26 - Fiddler Toasted > Dark Arts Pinot Noir > Bardstown Origin Rye