Mythology distillery out of Denver has been on my list to try for quite some time. I am a huge fan of mythologies and legends, particularly Norse and Greek, and so the name immediately caught my attention. The idea to Find your Spirit Animal is, in my opinion, an excellent idea that just piqued my interest even more. The Hell Bear, a blend of Bourbon Whiskey and Rye Whiskey, is a mix between a badger and a bear that is Confident, resourceful, and tenacious. I know as I poured it into my glass, I wanted the juice inside to live up to the expectation that the label had given me.
In the Bottle
Mash Bill/Age:
2 to 3 Year Rye Whiskey–95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
4 Year Bourbon–60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
5 Year Bourbon–68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
Proof:
90 (45% ABV)
Made In:
Blended and Bottled in Denver, Colorado.
In the Glass
Visual:
Pale, golden straw.
Nose:
Rye Bread immediately jumps out as soon as it was poured. Black and white pepper notes that were accompanied by a sweater bread note and a bit of nuttiness.
Palate:
The front of the palate is much softer than the nose would suggest, and sweet notes of caramel are noticeable right away. It moves into a more baking spice mid palate, that is well balanced and complimented by vanilla and brown sugar. The entire sip has an oily and thicker mouth feel to it.
Finish:
It finishes rye all the way, with tons of spicy black/white pepper notes but that is complimented by vanilla and sweet undertones. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hang around for too long.
With Water
Nose:
The rye notes on the nose faded slightly with the water added-with notes of dried fruit coming out a bit.
Palate:
Still full bodied, but a little bit less oily. The baking spices become more prominent earlier as well.
Finish:
The spicy notes hang around on the front of the tongue after the sip is gone, but it is remarkably easy on the finish. Again plenty of spicy rye bread notes that are complimented by sweet vanilla from the bourbon.
Final Thoughts:
The blend of Bourbon and Rye really lives up to the name of HellBear, a blend of badger and bear. I believe Mythology Distillery did an excellent job creating something that can really stand out, and showcases both styles of whiskey without either one taking away from the other. This is definitely a recommended bottle to pick up.
With the start of this year, we are moving away from a 100 point Rating Scale. We are going to introduce some new style of ratings eventually.
