Rye Whiskey

Fincasa De La Tierra Rum Barrel Finish Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Fincasa De La Tierra
Rum Barrel Finish Rye Whiskey Batch 004

50% ABV
$85
Website
Fincasa Whiskey De La Tierra Rum Barrel Finish Rye
We would like to thank Fincasa Whiskey and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Heritage in Every Pour
Fincasa is an award-winning heritage blend of Rye Whiskey finished in Origin Rum Barrels, crafted to share the stories of our ancestors. Rooted in tradition and inspired by our family’s history in Puerto Rican agriculture, Fincasa honors the generations who came before us.

Rum Barrel Finished Rye Whiskey
Our Rum Barrel Finished Rye Whiskey celebrates the rich cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean melding spice-forward rye with the soulful influence of aged rum. Each batch reveals the terroir of its rum origin, unlocking untold stories with every pour.

ORIGIN RELEASE: Barbados
AGE: 5 Years
MASH BILL: 51% rye | 45% corn | 4% malted barley
DISTILLED: Indiana, USA
FINISHED: 6-12 Months
BOTTLED: Miami, FL
NUMBER OF BOTTLES: Around 800

TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Baking spices, vanilla, aged rum, milk chocolate with hints of caramel and green apple
PALATE: Velvet spiced rum creme brulee, with hints of chocolate covered orange nibs
FINISH: Medium body finish, spiced oak and dark chocolate, with subtle notes of roasted pecans

What Gary Says

Nose: Rye spice with mint, citrus zest, dill, vanilla, hint of toffee, floral notes, molasses and rum.
Palate: Mint, orange zest, vanilla, honey, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Finish: Medium in length with spice notes of cinnamon, pepper and orange zest.
Comments: This is a decent young rye whiskey. I appreciate the ABV. For the age – I’ve always been told that what’s on the bottle is the best source (which my sample states a minimum of 3 years, but the website and other materials all state a minimum of 5 years). Something else that caught my eye was the lack of the ‘straight’ designation on the bottle (which could just be a marketing choice to not bother, but the discerning whiskey enthusiast may catch that). Technically, not having the word ‘straight’ could be for various reasons, although the most common is a lack of age statement (which this has), so my guess is that it may be more just a marketing choice. Rye is the one whiskey that even at 3 years old can be enjoyable (and where it ages can make a difference). An enjoyable pour, but this is priced so that unless you’re looking to support local (or specifically looking for not just ‘rum finished’ but Barbados rum finished rye) it’s pretty steep. A few drops of water bring out a bit of chocolate on the palate, although this works well neat.

Rating: Stands Out

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New Riff 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

New Riff 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

50% ABV
$70-75
Website
New Riff 8 Year Rye Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

From our founding in 2014, New Riff Distilling has carefully set back whiskey for long-term aging. This addition to our core lineup of products is the first older expression of our award-winning flagship rye whiskey. It is bottled without chill filtration at 100 proof.

Drawing on our own experience as well as the sour mash traditions of the Kentucky whiskey-making regimen, this rye whiskey is full of character and delivers rich, spicy flavors. The freshness evident here is exception, suggesting a barrel of New Riff Rye at eight years old has a long life of aging ahead of it.

While New Riff is committed to bottled-in-bond standards, we made the difficult decision to waive that status for this release, focusing on a wider distribution network that previous specialty releases. Despite meeting all other requirements of a bonded whiskey, due to the comparatively small production from the earliest years of New Riff, this release blends whiskeys from two distilling seasons aged a minimum of 8 years.

Tasting Notes
BOTTLED WITHOUT CHILL FILTRATION
AGED AT LEAST 8 YEARS
100 PROOF (50% Alc/Vol)
Appearance: Medium amber, golden highlights.
Nose: Rounded and ripe with rye grass, notes of cinnamon, clove, red apple.
Palate: Fulsome, medium body; drying entry, lightly oaky with a sweeter core; slow development of spicy flavors; juicy, intense midpalate of spearmint/clove/apple, along with a lovely, aged grassy-mineral quality.
Finish: Long-lasting notes of clove, mint, peppercorn.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rye spice with mint, thyme, orange zest, lime, cloves and oak.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, drying with orange, mint, vanilla, oak, apple and cloves.
Finish: Moderately long and drying with pepper, mint and citrus zest.
Comments: This is a lovely high-rye rye whiskey! The only rye I tried in the “bottled in bond – almost” series, so not fair to compare. However like the New Riff 8 Year Bourbon, this shows that the early promise from New Riff continues to pan out. I’ve been a big fan of a 95% rye mashbill ever since I first tried a popular one from Indiana. Not to knock the ‘barely legal’ ryes out there (as I enjoy many of those), but the 95% rye delivers a more crisp differentiation from bourbon. Most importantly, this is just a really damned nice whiskey all on its own!

Rating: Must Try

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Sagamore Spirit Barrel Select Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Sagamore Spirit Barrel Select Rye Whiskey
Total Wine Selection

52.5% ABV
$65-80
Website
Sagamore Spirit Barrel Select Rye Whiskey

What the Producer Says

Barrel Select Rye Whiskey
The Sagamore Spirit Barrel Select program is a unique Maryland-style blend of 7-year-old straight rye whiskies. Each barrel of high-rye is expertly blended with a low-rye mash bill by our distilling team. No two expressions taste the same, and you are guaranteed to enjoy a one-of-a-kind product. The Sagamore Spirit Barrel Select program showcases the uniqueness of our distillers’ favorite barrels in each bottle.

Tasting Notes
Palate: Classic tasting notes include hints of caramel and vanilla with cinnamon and clove.
Age: 7 Years

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rye spice with fennel, dill, tarragon, mint, toasted oak, bright citrus with notes of lemon and lime.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, vanilla then sharpens to grapefruit, lemon, a bit of orange, toffee, cinnamon and honey.
Finish:  Moderately long with grapefruit, cinnamon and vanilla.
Comments:  Just delightful! Honestly I am normally not a fan of grapefruit notes in my whiskey, but this has a lot going on beyond that. From what I see the price points on these vary quite a bit, with some folks snagging for $65 but $80 seems to be the SRP.

Rating: Must Try

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High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 13 (2025)

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram
Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys Finished in Port Barrels
Act 13 (2025 release)

49.3% ABV
$150
Website
High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 13
We would like to thank High West Whiskey and lippe taylor for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Dram is our beloved flagship whiskey, “Rendezvous” (a blend of straight rye whiskeys ranging in 4 to 10 years of age), finished in Ruby and Tawny Port barrels.

Nose: Crushed blackberries, mandarin zest, almond shortbread, fig jam, dulce de membrillo, allspice, old vine zinfandel, plum syrup spilled on a mahogany table
Palate: Marionberry preserves, chocolate-dipped cherries, marble rye bread, mochaccino, cinnamon bark, oolong tea, winter pine, smoldering Havana cigar
Finish: Velvety and spiced–chai cold foam, clove-studded orange flesh, soft ginger chew

How to drink: We recommend that you enjoy this special spirit neat, due to its many layers of complexity, next to a warm fire as the snow piles up on the window sill.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Dark fruit, plums, blackberries, figs, heavy port, allspice and orange zest.
Palate: Blood orange, plum, cinnamon, bitter chocolate, nutmeg, cloves and sour oak.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with citrus spice and cloves fading.
Comments:  I reviewed this back in September of 2020, and while I had two samples from different batches (Act 4 and Act 7), they were so similar I decided not to distinguish.  I no longer have anything left from those samples (or samples of other acts I’ve received), so I can’t provide a true ‘side-by-side’ comparison; but either my tastes have changed (entirely possible) or the whiskey has (also entirely possible).  This was one of my favorites from High West when it was first released – “Christmas in a Bottle” is who I would describe it. This year’s release seems to be more heavy handed on the Port finish, losing some of the spice notes from the rye.  I don’t know if the type of port casks have changed, or the duration of finishing – but while this was good it wasn’t as squarely in my wheelhouse as previous releases.  Coupled with the price increasing makes this a bit disappointing.  I certainly hope that this is just an off year (or an off batch).

Rating: Stands Out

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West Overton Keystone Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

West Overton Keystone Rye
Special Collaboration with Stoll & Wolfe Distillery

54% ABV
$75 (375 ml)
Website
West Overton Keystone Rye
We would like to thank Stoll & Wolfe Distillery and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Age: 3 Years
Mash Bill: A blend of 95% Stoll & Wolfe (60% Rye, 30% Corn, 10% Malt) and 5% WO Monongahela Rye (80% Rye, 20% Malt)
Cask Types: 53 gallon barrel 2 yr air dried staves for the S&W (American oak); WO is American oak
Things to Note: Historic collaboration with West Overton (Distillery of Abraham Overholt)

Tasting Notes
Nose: Aromas of citrus oil, dried mint, and stone fruit rise from the glass, layered with toasted oak and a hint of cherry.
Palate: The palate opens with bold rye spice—black pepper, clove, and ginger—balanced by the depth and natural sweetness of the Rosen rye. Notes of fig, dark honey, and rye bread develop into warm oak and leather.
Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is full and slightly chewy, with a firm structure that carries through to the finish.
Finish: Lingering notes of cinnamon, cocoa, and dry oak round it out with warmth and complexity.

What Gary Says

Nose: Strong rye spice notes with mint, time, oak funk and cedar.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel with caramel, honey, cloves, cinnamon, mint and orange bitters.
Finish: Long, slightly drying with rye spice notes trailing.
Comments: Apologies in advance for this note which many of you may not be able to relate to very well (just not sure how else to describe it), but this reminds me of ‘dusty rye; – like how rye tasted before rye started making a comeback a dozen or more years ago. It leaves me super curious about how the Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey tastes at this ABV (as that’s 95% of the blend) versus what the West Overton Monongahela rye. This drinks like a more mature whiskey than 3 years old. It is a tad sharp, but I don’t mind that in a rye whiskey (in fact expect a certain amount of that). Just a delicious, spicy spirit perfect for a crisp fall day! This is a limited release, on sale only at the distillery – so if you’re in the area get it while you can!

Rating: Must Try

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