Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 25 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 25 Year Old is the final release in Diageo’s Rhetoric series — a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled at the old Bernheim Distillery in Louisville and recovered from warehouses after sitting forgotten for decades. Each successive Rhetoric release added one year of age: 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and finally 25 years. At a quarter century in new charred American oak, this is among the oldest bourbon commercially released in the modern market.

The Orphan Barrel project sources bourbon and rye whiskies from stocks that were distilled at legacy distilleries and warehoused without a commercial release plan — either because the distillery closed, ownership changed, or production exceeded anticipated demand. Bernheim Distillery in Louisville produced significant quantities of wheated bourbon in the 1980s and 1990s under Heaven Hill’s tenancy; the Rhetoric series draws on that era’s production at its most aged. At 25 years, the wood influence is dominant but balanced — the extended maturation producing dark fruit, leather, and tobacco alongside the vanilla and caramel base.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Dark fruit, leather, tobacco, caramel, and aged oak. Palate: Rich and complex — dried fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla, and assertive wood tannin from 25 years in new oak. Finish: Long and drying with persistent oak and dark fruit.

Specs

Distillery: Bernheim, Louisville, Kentucky — Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Age: 25 Years — Series: Orphan Barrel Rhetoric (final release) — ABV: 45.1% — Size: 750ml

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