The discontinued 10 year old CC Reserve was typical of the hard-rye genre, with vanilla, caramel, ripe fruit, and hot pepper stitched onto a flinty-firm base. This new 9 year old version, though similar, has obvious differences. Pleasing heat rides an initial surge of toffee, dry grain, and dried dark fruit. A soon-to-arrive pithiness on the shortish finish refreshes, but without the familiar steeliness of its antecedent.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Summer 2013)