May 2014

Angel’s Envy Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Angel’s Envy Rye Whiskey Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks
50% ABV
$65 to $75
Website
rye34
What the Bottler Says:
As malcontents, we’re particular about our whiskey. When we decided to distill a rye, we approached it with the same painstaking attention to detail that we give every micro-batch of our bourbon, insisting on the highest quality. We can be a handful to work with, but the extra effort keeps paying off. Angel’s Envy Rye is genuinely special and worthy of Lincoln Henderson’s legacy.

Lincoln had been considering a rum cask finish, and the taste profile of our rye whiskey was a perfect fit. After sampling over 100 rums to find the right flavor to compliment our rye, the team’s decision was unanimous. Our vintage barrels began as small-batch French cognac barrels, which were then used to age and finish Plantation XO Rum. Angel’s Envy Rye Whiskey spends up to 18 months finishing in these Franco Caribbean rum casks, resulting in an immensely complex whiskey. The mingling of raw, spicy and earthy rye with the mellow sweetness of rum finishing creates in an incomparably smooth and drinkable rye, even at 100 proof.

Appearance crystal clear quality with a rich, reddish amber color
Nose aromas of citrus, caramel candy, maple sugar, vanilla oak, hazelnut, spice, and sherry wood
Palate sweet rum sherry wood and soft oak
Finish both sweet and dry, as well as quick and easy

What Richard Says:
Nose: A gingerbread explosion! There are hints of cracked black pepper and peppermint around the edges but the gingerbread dominates.
Palate: The gingerbread is more of a subtle cookie on the palate rather than the fresh baked bread on the nose. Cinnamon, graham crackers, and rum cake too.
Finish: Slow lingering gingerbread and a light oak backbone.
Comments: This is an excellent demonstration showing how finishing can give you something greater than the sum of it’s parts. The rum finish interacts with the rye to give this amazing gingerbread note all through the whiskey. Obviously, if you don’t like gingerbread then you probably won’t like this but I love it. It’s a great dessert and Christmas whiskey.
Rating: Must Try

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(rī)1

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

(rī)1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
46% ABV
$30 to $35 (found mine on sale for $20)
Ri
What the Distillery Says:
(rî)1® Whiskey elevates the ultra-premium whiskey category, offering consumers a refined flavor, a striking look and a new take on cocktail couture.

(rî)1® is a blend of several different ages (minimum 4.5 years) to create a uniquely smooth and sophisticated flavor. The deliberate blending of several different ages creates a higher proof; spicy, yet lighter rye taste; and long, luxurious finish that declares (rî)1® as the definition to which other rye whiskies should aspire.

(rî)1® provides the cocktail crowd with a spicy, flavorful addition to their current drink portfolio. Rye whiskey is both approachable in its taste, and distinct in its profile due to its luxurious and striking finishes. We have created a modern spirit that allows drinkers to rediscover some of their favorite cocktails.

BRAND FACTS
(rî)1® is (pronounced “rye one”)

Bottled at 92 proof

Light, spicy flavor and long, luxurious finish

Straight, the nose offers a gentle, peppery nod to its rye heritage.

Cut with water, the scents of dried fruit and cinnamon push to the front, providing a rich palate experience

(rî)1® is packaged in a distinctive glass bottle with a single label that reinforces the brand’s straightforward feel and modern style

What Richard Says:
Nose: Spearmint, vanilla, cinnamon, and cracked pepper. The nose is very…sharp. That’s the best way I can describe it. It comes at you like spear. Watering it down makes it much fruitier but you lose the nice spice and mint notes. I want both at the same time damn it!
Palate: Boiled peanuts, hot black and cayenne pepper. Watering it down is recommended. It mellows out the nastier notes and leaves it lighter and creamier.
Finish: Hot and peppery with a back of raw wet wood…like a toothpick you’ve chewed too long.
Comments: Young, hot tempered, and brash. Given it’s packaging it’s kind of an angry hipster rye. 🙂 This may be the first none barrel/cask strength whiskey I’ve ever said this about but you really need to water this one. By itself it’s kind of nasty. The nose is nice but the rest is meh. With a dose of water it mellows to a nice drinkable whiskey. I’m thinking this was designed more for the cocktail crowd and givne it’s need for dilution that may be a good idea. Straight from the bottle and by itself this one isn’t doing it for me.
Rating: Average

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Sazerac Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
45% ABV
$25 to $35
Website
SAZ-rye
What the Distiller Says:
The One and Only New Orleans Original. Sazerac Rye Whiskey symbolizes the tradition and history of New Orleans. Rye Whiskey that dates back to the 1800’s, around the time when saloons, veiled as Coffee Houses, began lining the streets of New Orleans. It was at the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street where local patrons were served toddies made with Rye Whiskey and Peychaud’s Bitters. The libation became known as the “Sazerac” and America’s first branded cocktail was born. This is the whiskey that started it all.

TASTING NOTES:
Aromas of clove, vanilla, anise and pepper. Subtle notes of candies spices and citrus. The big finish is smooth with hints of licorice.

What Richard Says:
Nose: There’s a little of the “typical” rye mint but it is overpowered by lots of vanilla and licorice. After it opens a bit I also get something that reminds me of aged brandy.
Palate: Lighter and more zesty than it’s 18 year old big brother.
Finish: Spearmint with a good dose of dry wood.
Comments: This is a much lighter representation of Sazerac rye. The nose is nice but the palate is almost indistinguishable. There’s a sweetness and a spice but not a defined sweetness (i.e. golden raisins, honey, etc.) or a noted spice (clove, cinnamon, pepper, etc.) The best I can say is black pepper simple syrup which sounds much nastier than this is. It’s a fine rye. Given the competition from a bunch of lower quality ryes hitting the market in the last few years this one definitely stands out. However, there isn’t much there that makes me want to grab this over something else.
Rating: Stands Out

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Old Overholt

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey
40% ABV
$15
Website
Old-Overholt-Rye
What the Distiller Says:
These are the three principles by which Abraham Overholt (1784-1870) lived and made his whiskey. He’s the father of American distilling and took uncompromising pride in his product — a legacy which continues today.

Old Overholt is the oldest of The Olds, a relic you can drink. This famous Straight Rye Whiskey has a distinctive flavor and appeal that, after Prohibition, made it the most popular spirit in the country.

Agreeable means you get along. And Old Overholt does just that. It’s renowned for its outstanding mixability in classic cocktails like the Old Style Manhattan (look it up). The one and only Old Overholt is 80 Proof and aged 3 years.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Beam-y rye. What I mean by that is that it’s the clear intersection of the classic rye nose of mint, herbs, and spices and the Beam (distiller) house style. Tour Beam in Clermont and the warehouse ooze this smell.
Palate: Light, unoffensive but a little young. This rye seems, either through mashbill or youth to show a lot of the flavors on new corn make. Obviously, it’s at least 51% rye but that corn distillate nature is swimming in the background.
Finish: It gets hotter the longer it sits on the palate.
Comments: While not my favorite rye by any stretch it is a serviceable addition to the cocktail bar. I use it in making Manhattans and as a ginger ale mixer.
Rating: Average

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Redemption Rye (2014)

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Redemption Rye Whiskey Batch 86, Bottle 926

(From 2014; note packaging has since changed)
46% ABV
$25 to $30
Website

What the Bottler Says:
The U.S. Government Standards require “rye whiskey” to be made from a mash of at least 51% rye grain. For Redemption Rye we use a mash of 95% premium rye grain for a spicy and bold flavor and we use premium rye, which costs more but is well worth it, because when you use good ingredients you get good rye whiskey.

The U.S. Government Standards also require that rye whiskey be aged in “new charred oak barrels” which means that new oak barrels are burned on the inside, and it’s from the charred wood and the expansion and contraction of the whiskey in and through the wood of the barrel through the seasons that whiskey gets its amber color and the flavor is smoothed. The standards do not specify a minimum time the rye whiskey needs to stay in the barrel, but once it has been in the barrel for 2 years it earns the designation of “straight” rye whiskey. Redemption Rye is aged for over 2 years.

We bottle in small batches which allows us to leave the whiskey in the barrels longer for the most flavor and color. We empty the barrels and filter for particles, cut it down to 92 proof and bottle it immediately so that the most flavor from the barrel makes it into the bottle. We then mark each bottle with the batch and bottle number by hand.

Then the bottles are packed into cases and shipped around to the country, and that’s the Redemption Rye process! So enjoy this fine rye responsibly and share our pride in this great American Spirit.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Holy mint nose Batman! This one screams it’s rye-ness on the nose.
Palate: Licorice, more mint, and homemade rock candy.
Finish: Cracks off the palate like a bat breaking home run. Short and minty.
Comments: My “official” review tasting of this has been sitting a while. When I first got the bottle I thought it was young, brash, and only useful in cocktails. However, giving it some resting time with a good bit of head space (large whiskey to cap space for air) and this has mellowed out nicely. For a young (around two years) sourced rye from LDI…MGP or whatever the hell they are called now in Indiana, this isn’t bad.
Rating: Average

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