Pinhook Cask Strength Bourbon – Bold, Brash, and Racing for Glory
Pinhook Cask Strength Bourbon
🎥 Click here to watch the episode on YouTube
Pinhook Cask Strength Bourbon – Bold, Brash, and Racing for Glory
Welcome to Episode 2 of Pour Decisions Wednesday, our midweek dive into high-proof gambles, regrettable metaphors, and bourbon bottles that make us ask: What were we thinking?
Today’s pick: Pinhook Cask Strength Bourbon, coming in at 115.3 proof and ready to throw some serious weight around your tastebuds.
What Is Pour Decisions Wednesday?
Pour Decisions Wednesday is where we explore the bourbons that don’t always make sense—but always make for great content. From small-batch sippers to cask strength brawlers, this series is all about tasting big, bold, and sometimes questionable picks. Some of them surprise us. Some of them make us question our life choices. All of them are poured on camera.
Meet Pinhook Bourbon
Founded in 2011, Pinhook approaches bourbon the way Kentucky handles horse racing. The name comes from the practice of pinhooking—buying young horses, raising them with care, and selling them when they’re ready to race. Pinhook does the same with bourbon barrels: find the young ones with potential, mature them at the historic Castle & Key Distillery, and release them when they’re race-ready.
Unlike traditional Kentucky distillers aiming for consistent flavor across batches, Pinhook embraces variation. Every release is a vintage—a unique blend with a different mash bill, profile, and even a different horse on the label.
Each bottle features real racehorse stats. Yes, really.
Castle & Key Distillery: Where the Magic Happens
Pinhook bourbon is blended, aged, and bottled at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY. This isn’t just any rickhouse—it’s the beautifully restored home of the Old Taylor Distillery, originally founded in 1887. It’s where bourbon tradition meets fresh innovation, giving Pinhook a rich heritage to build on.
Tasting Notes – Pinhook Cask Strength (115.3 Proof)
Nose:
Caramel and cinnamon
Baked apple and brown sugar
Clove and warm oak
A whisper of regret (classic cask strength warning sign)
Palate:
Toffee and ripe peach
Cocoa nibs and cinnamon spice
Charred oak and leather
A peppery bite on the back end
Finish:
Long and warm
Oak, brown sugar, lingering spice
A slightly dry fade with a hint of fruit
It’s full-bodied and assertive, but not overwhelming. There’s complexity, depth, and just enough restraint to keep it from going full Kentucky Hulk Smash.
Final Verdict
This isn’t your average shelf bourbon. Pinhook Cask Strength is a full-tilt, high-proof experience that rewards patient sipping and a strong liver. If you’re a fan of vintage variation, high-octane pours, and unique bourbon stories—this bottle might be your next great discovery.
Where did it land on our Tortured Bourbon Ranking Scale?
Watch the full episode to find out if this colt galloped into Cock of the Walk status—or got stuck in the Bless Your Heart barn.
🎥 Click here to watch the episode on YouTube
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