Review: Rabbit Hole Raceking Founder’s Collection (2022 Release)
Bourbon, by law, must be distilled from a mash bill of at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak containers. These restrictions limit bourbon to a narrower range of flavors compared to Scotch, Irish, and other whiskies which are able to use new and used oak containers that previously held a wide array of beer, wine, and spirits.
With one hand figuratively tied behind their back, how are producers supposed to come up with new innovations in the bourbon space? Barrel finishing bourbon is one method that has become popular over the last few years. Rabbit Hole Dareringer, a wonderful PX Sherry finished bourbon, is just one example. Experimenting with mash bills provides another opportunity for innovation, but most distillers today are playing it safe and using a simple three-grain mash bill of corn, rye or wheat, and barley.
Enter Rabbit Hole Raceking Founder’s Collection, a five-grain, double chocolate malt bourbon aged in wood-fired, toasted, and charred new American Oak barrels. Originally released in 2021, Raceking is the third expression in the Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection series and was named in honor of Kentucky’s time-honored tradition of horse racing. Created from a mash bill of 70% corn, 13% rye, 10% malted rye, 4% chocolate malted wheat, and 3% chocolate malted barley, Raceking explores how malting organically expands the range of flavors in whiskey.
Bottled at a cask strength of 109.8 proof (54.9% ABV), the 2022 release of Rabbit Hole Raceking Founder’s Collection is limited to 1,335 sequentially-numbered bottles and was released at the Rabbit Hole Distillery in late 2022, followed by a nationwide retail release in early 2023. Raceking carries a suggested retail price of $395 per bottle.
Does the use of double chocolate malt in Raceking’s unique five-grain mash bill deliver a bourbon chock-full of chocolate notes, or is it just a gimmick? Let’s find out!
Rabbit Hole Raceking Founder’s Collection (2022 Release) Specifications:
- Spirit: American Whiskey.
- Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
- Region: Kentucky.
- Age: NAS (No Age Statement).
- ABV: 54.9% (109.8 Proof).
- Mash Bill: 70% corn, 13% rye, 10% malted rye, 4% chocolate malted wheat, and 3% chocolate malted barley.
- Cask Type: Matured in wood-fired, toasted, and charred new American Oak barrels.
- Other: NCF (Non-Chill Filtered).
- Price Paid: N/A (Sample from Rabbit Hole).
- MSRP: $395 for 750 mL.
Tasting Notes:
- Color: Burnished.
- Nose: Baking chocolate, fudge brownies, and chocolate croissants, followed by tangerine oranges and other fruit, and faint aromas of rye spice and mint.
- Palate: Moderate mouthfeel. Opens with bitter baking chocolate before transitioning to sweeter notes of fudge brownies and cinnamon dusted hot chocolate with vanilla marshmallows. Behind the chocolate we find notes of coffee beans, bubble gum, black cherries, red plums, oranges, toasted oak, and a hint of tobacco.
- Finish: Short-medium length, with a semi-dry, lingering Mexican hot chocolate (cinnamon and chocolate) note.
Rabbit Hole Raceking is no gimmick. The use of chocolate malted wheat and chocolate malted barley in Raceking’s five-grain mash bill has led to a whiskey that’s loaded with chocolate notes, delivering a flavor profile that’s completely different than most bourbons available today. If you enjoy strong chocolate notes in whiskey, you’re going to love this. I’m a sucker for chocolate notes, especially bitter and dark chocolate, so Raceking’s flavor profile is right up my alley.
I wouldn’t pay the MSRP of $395 for a full bottle – there are few whiskeys for which I would drop that kind of money, and this isn’t quite on that level – but if Rabbit Hole were to mass produce this mash bill and release it under their core range at a more affordable price point, I’d buy a bottle in a heartbeat.
Rating: B (83-86%).
A Second Opinion:
My cousin Jayson and I frequently participate in bottle splits and share samples of new releases. When possible, I’ll share his tasting notes alongside mine.
Jayson’s Notes:
- Color: Burnished.
- Nose: Big and sweet. Hot chocolate with marshmallow, French toast (syrup on buttered toast), and some fresh cut grass notes. Very nice.
- Palate: Sweetness continues from the nose, with cocoa, coffee, and caramel. It’s like sipping a mocha latte with whip cream and caramel drizzle.
- Finish: Medium length. Continues the sweetness but with more mocha. Coffee, vanilla, and spices.
I will admit that for me, most bourbon tastes very similar: notes of vanilla, caramel, and syrup with occasional cinnamon and cherries, to varying degrees. This one hit different, in a good way. It’s very well balanced, with no overbearing sugary sweetness. I enjoyed this and recommend finding a bottle even at the high SRP for a bottle split with a friend.
Jayson’s Rating: B+ (87-89%).