Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey
60.5% ABV (for sample provided; varies by barrel)
$90
Website
We would like to thank Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and The Brand Guild for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
Bottled at cask strength, this Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is what other ryes work hard to grow up to be. Tennessee does a lot of things well; growing rye is not one of them. So, we sought out the best from other states. Each of our inaugural barrels hails from New York, where they aged in new American oak for a minimum of four years after a short stint in B.C., where they were born.
These barrels began as a lofty experiment in 2017. Was it possible to create an ultra-smooth whiskey, with flavor galore, made from 100% rye? That was the question. The answer took a while but was well worth the wait: hell yeah.
What Gary Says
Nose: Rye toast, corn flakes, salted caramel, orange honey, cinnamon and a hint of anise.
Palate: Caramel, orange bitters, bursting with rye spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and lemongrass.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with chili spice and citrus.
Comments: I tried this side by side against the Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey, which probably isn’t a fair comparison. The Uncut/Unfiltered is $60 more, but is the same mashbill, and the descriptions of treatment are similar (although both are non-age stated, and I suspect that is where the difference lies – besides this offering being a single barrel). While there is similarity between the two, I preferred the other. I found this to be a bit hot, thinner, and likely a bit younger (although not “young”). Now as a single barrel, maybe the one I tried is an outlier. It does take water well, and thickened up nicely. This is a very spicy and hot rye – which I think makes for a great cocktail.
Good ol’Canadian Rye whisky in a fancy bottle and priced 3x what the original distiller charges for their rye.
I am a fan of Canadian Rye whisky, and you definitely get that origin – but if you think what’s in the bottle is the same I think you’d be surprised. Where the distillate is aged and how it is finished definitely alters the spirit.