> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bourbonbanter.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Rhetoric 25 Year Bourbon Review - URL: https://www.bourbonbanter.com/rhetoric-25-year-bourbon-review/ - Published: 2018-12-12T14:57:35.000Z - Updated: 2023-03-29T16:01:36.000Z - Description: The nose on this one is fantastic. The oak is way out front, but the baking spices and sweeter notes add a nice depth that I find very enjoyable. I don’t find the palate of body to be anything special. - Author: Shawn Jackson - Tags: Bourbon Whiskey Reviews, Rhetoric, Diageo, #wp, Orphan Barrel, #wp-post, #Import 2023-03-13 09:32, #updated, Bar ## **BOTTLE DETAILS** --- - ****DISTILLER:** Diageo - ****MASH BILL:** 86% Corn | 6% Rye | 8% Barley - ****AGE:** 25 Years - ****YEAR:** 2018 - ****PROOF:** 91 proof (45.5% ABV) - ****MSRP:** $140 - ****BUY ONLINE:** [Wine-Searcher.com](https://%3Ca%20href%3D%22https//www.wine-searcher.com/find/rhetoric+25+year%22%20target=%22%5Fblank%22%20rel=%22noopener%C2%A0nofollow%22%3EWine-Searcher.com%3C/a%3E) ## **SHAWN'S NOTES** --- ****NOSE**: Oak | Baked Cinnamon | Allspice | Cocoa | Butterscotch ****TASTE:** Nutmeg | Cinnamon ****FINISH:** Medium Length | Spicy | Cinnamon | Cocoa | Nutmeg | A Hint of Sweetness | A little dry ****SHARE WITH:** Whiskey nerds and oak-forward bourbon fans. ****WORTH THE PRICE**: Retail was announced as $140, but I found this one for $159 on the shelf, and I’ve heard accounts of prices ranging from $159-200\. Just on paper, if you compared it to the other bourbons older than 20 years, like offerings from Elijah Craig, Parker’s Heritage, Pappy Van Winkle, and others, this is a good value. If you have not had many occasions to try bourbons this old, then this might be a good option to familiarize yourself with the notes of older, oak-forward bourbons. ****BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST:** As I often do with higher-priced bottles that I am unsure about, I buy a bottle and split it with some friends. For the price of a drink at the bar, I can get 4 or 5 ounces and help some friends get their hands on some samples, too. If that is not an option, I’d recommend trying it at the bar before committing to a bottle. I enjoy the oak in this one, but a lot of people prefer the woodiness to be subtler. ****OVERALL:** The nose on this one is fantastic. The oak is way out front, but the baking spices and sweeter notes add a nice depth that I find very enjoyable. I don’t find the palate of body to be anything special. The finish is nice but could be longer. From an educational perspective, I enjoy seeing how well distilleries can wrangle the intense oak of older bourbons like this one, so I am glad I got to try it. After reading about the 24-year, I expected this one to be loaded with tannins, but the dryness was far from over-bearing. ***Editor's Note: Back in May 2014, I had the opportunity to review the first release of Rhetoric. Now that we're at the end of its 5-year journey you may want to check out that original [Rhetoric bourbon review](https://www.bourbonbanter.com/drink/drink-reviews/bourbon-reviews/rhetoric-bourbon-review/#.XBFBghNKi3I) and see how it stacks up to today's review of the 25 year release.* ***3/27/19 Update: [We now have a review of all six Rhetoric bourbon releases for comparison purposes.](https://www.bourbonbanter.com/drink/drink-reviews/bourbon-reviews/rhetoric-bourbon-all-six-releases-reviewed/)* ## **BRAND NOTES** --- ****TASTING NOTES** Aroma rich in oak and vanilla notes with hints of dried fruit, cherries and allspice. Palette is oak-forward with notes of nutmeg, caramel, and cocoa, and gives way to a warming and slightly spicy finish. ****PRODUCT BACKGROUND** Rhetoric 25-Year-Old is the latest release from the Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company – a beautiful Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey aged for 25 years. Aged five years longer than the first release, Rhetoric 20-Year-Old, it is slightly more mature and carries a higher proof. The Rhetoric series has been progressively aged and re-released annually at a year older, allowing whiskey aficionados to collect the series and compare the whiskeys Side-by-side. ****ORIGIN** Rhetoric stocks were found in the old Stitzel-Weller Warehouses in Louisville, Ky. The whiskey was distilled (between 1990-1993) at the Bernheim Distillery historically located at 17th and Breckenridge in Louisville, Ky., while owned and operated by United Distillers. The whiskey is hand-bottled in Tullahoma, Tenn.