PRODUCED AND SOLD IN LIMITED QUANTITIES, SMALL BATCH RYE OFFERS SMOOTH, SPICY RYE FLAVOR WITH ENOUGH BACKBONE TO STAND UP TO CLASSIC COCKTAILS. NOSE Spicy with Hints of Chocolate and Vanilla TASTING NOTES Mildly Woody with a Sweet and Surprising Spice
What Gary Says
Nose: Bright and sweet pine notes with a bit of mint and dill. Palate: Full mouthfeel, corn sweet with a subtle lemon-spice pick-up; a bit of allspice on the back. Finish: Short and wet. Comments: This is a 2 yr old straight rye from Indiana, and the nose represents that well. On the palate, it comes across more like a young bourbon to me. Reminds me a bit of Ezra Brooks Straight Rye (also bottled by Luxco with Indiana distilled rye). Smoother than most ryes of this age that I’ve tasted. If I was looking for a rye in this price range, I’d select a couple others over this – although there isn’t anything off-putting with it.
Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye (2018) 59.8% ABV $60 – $70 Website What the Distiller DOESN’T Say . . . Anything. Seriously – I couldn’t find any mention of this new, exciting product on their website (Beam-Suntory or Knob Creek), their facebook page, etc. I’m baffled as to why – other than they expect this will sell out without the need to publish so much as a press release on it. So, sorry to report dear reader that I can’t share what they’d say about it.
What Gary Says Nose: Sweet caramel drizzled tiramisu with toasted orange zest and subtle chocolate notes over fall leaves; a tad hot. Palate: Rich, warm sweetness with caramel and chocolate that skips a few gears and explodes into an orange spice zip with drying pepper spice. Finish: Long and drying w/ burnt pepper notes trailing off. Comments: The nose advertises a nice, semi-tame rye – which the palate starts to deliver before quickly erupting with a strong rye spice explosion. This isn’t age stated (the bottle says it was barreled in 2009, so assuming it was dumped late last year or early this year – it is in the 8-9 year range), and the label also doesn’t mention it is a “straight” rye whiskey – but sources indicate that it is despite not being labeled as such. Regardless of the precise age – this is a damn tasty whiskey. Rye with much age and proof is harder to come by today, and this makes me yearn for the days when I could walk in and pick up a 7 or 8 yr cask strength rye whiskey for $50 or $60. I was fortunate to pick this up for under $60, but even at $70, I would be pretty happy with it. I’m hoping this becomes an annual (or more frequent) release – and at the same price point! Rating: Must Try
This special bottle of George Washington’s Rye Whiskey® is one of a limited number of bottles distilled at George Washington’s reconstructed distillery at Mount Vernon.
The mash bill, or recipe, was discovered by researchers examining the distillery ledgers for 1798 and 1799. His whiskey consisted of 60% rye, 35% corn and 5% malted barley. The records also indicate that George Washington’s whiskey was distilled at least twice before being sent to market. In Washington’s time whiskey was not aged and was sold in its original form. The whiskey in this bottle accurately represents that process.
Mount Vernon staff used Washington’s original mash bill and traditional 18th-century methods in the production of this rye whiskey. This included grinding of all the grain in Washington’s water-powered gristmill, fermenting in wooden mash tubs and distilling in copper pot stills heated by wood fires, making this rye whiskey as close to the original recipe as possible.
What Gary Says
Nose: Thick, robust cereal, corn bread and freshly baked rye bread; a hint of barley malt and pine. Palate: Rich, creamy, sweet corn and sweet barley malt with a bite of pepper and a touch of sourdough bread. Finish: Fairly quick (although more pleasant than the other white dog whiskies evaluated during the same sessions). Comments: In early 2015, I visited George Washington’s Mount Vernon Distillery and Gristmill, and bought this bottle (despite not being a fan of white dog). They make whiskey a couple times a year, using the same techniques used in George Washington’s day (almost completely by hand!) They sell a limited number of bottles, and I was anxious to taste what whiskey back in Washington’s day may have tasted like. In that period, whiskey wasn’t aged (at least not intentionally), so the unaged rye whiskey was as close as I could get (although I guess something aged for some odd months might have been more accurate – who knows). Besides the methods used, this is a much lower proof than most white dog on the market today. And of the three white dogs I reviewed, this was hands down my favorite. Quite interesting, with a lot more going on in terms of depth of flavor on both the nose and palate, and a thicker mouthfeel. I would absolutely love to try this with some real age on it, based on what I’ve read about lower proof distillates. Don’t get me wrong – this was an expensive taste of history, but it left me with no regrets.
Rating: Must Try (if you’re a whiskey geek; otherwise try before you buy!)
Heaven Hill Trybox Series New Make Rye 62.5% ABV $25 What Gary Says Nose: Alcohol, crisp, only a hint of corn; some water brings out a note of anise and tamps down the burn. Palate: Warm, sweet – with corn and anise followed by a bite; some water really brings out the anise (like liquid licorice) along with a sugary sweetness. Finish: Peppery on the finish, but unremarkable. Comments: At this proof, it needs water – otherwise it doesn’t have much going on (not that you expect a lot from white dog). This was my least favorite of the three white dogs I reviewed, although nothing off putting. Not being a fan of white dog, this fit pretty squarely into what I expect, if not a touch less interesting than that. Rating: Average
Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey 45% ABV $20 Website What the Bottler Says: Nose: Hints of chocolate, leather, vanilla and spicy grains. Palate: Slightly sweet and oaky tones, with a warm and spicy finish.
What Gary Says Nose: Young rye spice (mint, dill, thyme), hint of citrus zest and a bit of alcohol. Palate: Thin, soft rye spice, subtly sweet, sour patch candy. Finish: Short and a tad dry. Comments: I’m a fan of Ezra Brooks 7-yr, 101 proof bourbon – so when I saw a straight rye offering, I jumped at it. Even with a 24 month age statement, I’ve enjoyed young rye (much more so than young bourbon). This doesn’t remind me of most young rye, which tends to be aggressive. This is very soft to me for a rye. The nose is squarely in the young-rye category, but the palate was too soft/subtle for me. If I was looking for a rye at a similar price-point, I’d spring for the extra few bucks and go with Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond. While this is 90 proof, it drinks to me like an 80 proof, which is disappointing. Rating: Probably Pass
What Richard Says Nose: Super light on the nose. It’s almost like rye white dog. Just a bit of mint with lemon/lime zest. Palate: Surprisingly sweet with loads of caramel and vanilla dancing around the mint and black pepper. Finish: The finish is a bit harsh. Lots of pepper and alcohol burn. Comments: Meh. Not good, not bad. Very average. There isn’t anything that makes me want to reach of this over something else. Rating: Average
