Flavor Notes

The nose is a vermilion storm cloud, echoing an ominous rumble of red velvet cake, hazelnut and brandied chocolate cherry. It looms in the glass, pulsating crimson lightning, each strike illuminates the cloud with baked brown sugar, galvanic bursts of sweetened chai, a nimbus of raspberry infused honey and cara cara marmalade.

The landing is like a diving loon. Chaos above, calm below, it glides unperturbed across the palate, leaving toasted caramel in its wake and a dusting of ruby chocolate over creamy mocha. The maelstrom above displays sweet secondary earth tones, reverberating mint, camellia sinensis and vanilla glacé. All the while, our Hell Diver navigates the undercurrents, a spiral of strawberry conserva, canela-coated Brazil nuts and a twining of toffee.

The finish approaches. The bird breaches. The storm crescendos as its nutmeg, white tea and French wafer coalesce. A final flush of red comice pear flashes bright before its silken descent into an everlasting swirl of maple, walnut and cocoa powder.

Components and Maturation

Hell Diver 2025 began as a blend of 17, 20 and 24 year corn and 22 year rye. The 20 year corn was critical to the blend, providing the necessary thickness in the mid-palate, laying a viscous foundation for the Pedro Ximénez casks to impart a broad range of sweet, dry, herbaceous, earthy and spicy qualities, without dismantling the whisky’s structure. After 7 additional months in Pedro Ximénez, Cognac and New Wood casks, the final reblend marks the return of Hell Diver in its newest form.