Rye Whiskey

Booker’s Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Booker’s Rye Big Time Batch
Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
68.1% ABV
$300
Website
bookers-rye
What the Distillery Says:
Booker Noe was known for his innovative thinking, big personality and, most of all, his big-flavored bourbon. He spent his days experimenting at the distillery, tinkering with different grain mixtures, and was always intrigued by the challenge that the temperamental rye grain posed. Never one to back down from a challenge, he went big in 2003 and laid down a limited number of barrels of a rye whiskey, creating the first ever Booker’s Rye. When you take one sip of this whiskey, you’ll agree that it is “Big Time” all the way.

It has an intense flavor profile with pronounced, well-balanced notes of wood and oak from the longer aging process. The deep amber liquid offers a complex aroma with spicy notes from the rye in the mash bill.

This uncut rye has a spicy and robust flavor, but is not overpowering. It can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

What Richard Says:
Nose: It’s a little woody but not too much. The proof needs a bit of water before the nose can really develop. Deep sooty caramel, fiery cinnamon, oiled leather, and hint of tobacco.
Palate: Whoa! So delicious and so hot at the same time. The experience of the first taste reminds me of the first time I had George T Stagg, although this doesn’t go down quite as smooth. It is rich, thick, and sweet…oozing cinnamon Red Hots, baking spices, and cooked brown sugar and butter.
Finish: The finish is dry with lots of leather, cigar tobacco, and cocoa powder.
Comments: Supposedly this isn’t just high proof extra aged Knob Creek Rye. According to the distillery this was a special recipe rye that Booker created and laid down the year before he passed away. I don’t know if that is marketing hooey or the real deal but this tastes unlike any rye that I’ve ever had. This is absolutely delicious. If it wasn’t ridiculously over priced at $300 a bottle then I would say scour the earth for every bottle you can find. It’s a shame really, because this is such delicious whiskey and it’s marred by the stigma of Beam’s recent pricing missteps (Knob Creek 2001, Booker’s Bourbon, and this). All that aside, this really is a drink that you should experience. $300 for the bottle? No, but if you can get a glass for $30 to $40 at a bar then jump on it.
Rating: Must Try

We would like to thank Beam Suntory for sending us a sample to review.

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WhistlePig 2016 Boss Hog

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

WhistlePig The Boss Hog Straight Rye Whiskey: The Independent
60.3% ABV
$299.99
Website
boss-hog-independent-main
What the Bottler Says:
The name says it all. This is our biggest, most profound whiskey. For the Boss Hog in us all.

The 1st edition, created in 2013, was our best at the time: our best barrels, barrel strength, 12 year aged.

In 2014, the 2nd edition was created as a memorial to Mortimer, one of our founder’s first pigs. He died heroically whilst defending the honor of Mauve, his porcine lover and companion. This marked the first time Mortimer appeared on the pewter stopper. Again we used our barrels as barrel strength, this time aged for 13 years.

This 3rd edition of Boss Hog, The Independent, is a celebration of the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. This is our first Rye Whiskey ever finished in Hogshead 250 liter Scotch casks – the largest barrels in the business – which were enhanced with new American Oak heads.

The result is extraordinary. A fine balance between complex spices and delicate nuance. There’s nothing else like it.

Nose: Oak and vanilla are predominant, with undertones of mint, caramel, and baking spice.
Palate: Warm and bold, with lots of spices. Very faint hints of peat and smoke. Slightly earthy.
Finish: Surprisingly easydrinking for 125 proof with a long, warm, spicy finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Mint tea and newly made vanilla extract.
Palate: Heavy on the mint, vanilla, and caramel with a light back smokiness. The press notes are right, this drinks much easier than the proof would foretell.
Finish: Mint, allspice, oak, and dark cocoa powder.
Comments: Apparently WhistlePig is not to be out done by Jim Beam’s $300 13 year old rye by coming out with their own $300 rye. It’s a bit surprising given the recent release of their 15 Year for $200. Let’s be honest, the price stings a bit. This isn’t a rye for the masses. However, if you have the opportunity to try this then please do. It is a stellar glass of rye.
Rating: Must Try

We would like to thank WhistlePig for sending us a sample to review.

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WhistlePig 15 Year

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey 15 Year
46% ABV
$200
Website
whistlepig-15YO
What the Bottler Says:
Within this bottle is the culmination of years of patience – a liquid chosen from our finest stocks to be aged for more than a decade, only disturbed as it was transferred from specially selected former bourbon casks to barrels made from slow-growing Vermont Oak harvested on the WhistlePig farm.

The harsh winters and shorter growing seasons of the Green Mountains bestow a tighter grain pattern upon these trees, imparting nuanced flavors into the whiskey. After being milled, seasoned, and raised by some of the best coopers in America, the new barrel receives a long toast and heavy char designed to draw out a rich sweetness that complements the natural spice of aged rye.

The final product mingles rye spice with wood sugar, earthy oakiness and lush citrus notes, all wrapped in a velvet smoothness unique to the finest aged spirits. We are proud to share with you the fruit of our labors the WhistlePig 15 Year.

Nose: Deep and rich, dominated by caramel, vanilla, and oak with hints of all spice and burnt orange.
Taste: Warm, rich, and slightly creamy; Loads of butterscotch and baking spice with leather and a hint of tobacco
Finish: Ultra long and rich, warm, and inviting

What Gary Says:
Nose: Big, bold, crisp rye spice; citrus punch with underlying oak.
Palate: Thick/viscous/creamy mouthfeel, orange bitters with caramel chews, hints of pipe smoke and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderately long, and not as dry as I expected for the age.
Comments: Very bold rye whiskey – not very oaky/woody. In fact, on both the nose and palate I’d have pegged it as younger because of the lack of oak, but it has enough complexity and bold flavor to make up for it (and for my palate, I prefer less oak – so this is right in my wheelhouse). This has the kind of nose where I could pour and just smell it for hours, and while the palate is quite enjoyable – it isn’t quite as bold as the nose advertises (but is still very nice). I think rye fans would appreciate this, but the price tag makes it challenging – and I definitely recommend a “try before you buy” approach if you have the opportunity.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla extract, orange zest, something like lacquer, and a minty woody backbone.
Palate: Creamy and spicy with light notes of sweetness. Cigar tobacco, fennel seed, caramel, and oiled leather.
Finish: Much lighter than I would expect. Linger mint, polished wood, and more oiled leather.
Comments: This is a very nice rye. It smells absolutely stellar but the palate is a little lacking to me. I find a little less than I expected. I thought the Boss Hog bottling was richer and more robust of flavor for a bit less. $200? Well that is steep and it is up to you to determine that for yourself. I wouldn’t drop that kind of coin for it but value is very subjective.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank WhistlePig for sending over a sample for us to review.

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Yellow Rose Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Yellow Rose Straight Rye Whiskey
45% ABV
$35
Website
yellowrose-straight-rye-whiskey
What the Bottler Says:
Yellow Rose Straight Rye Whiskey is hand selected, blended and bottled in Texas. Enjoy whiskey as it was before prohibition with this small batch limited production spirit. Made from 95% rye, this whiskey is a true American classic perfect for fine cocktails.

COLOR: Copper, amber.
NOSE: Mild vanilla and pine with hint of brown sugar.
PALATE: Slightly sweet, spearmint with mild pepper and maple.
FINISH: Medium finish with less pepper than other rye whiskey’s.
COMMENTS: One of the best rye whiskey’s ever! Makes for the perfect Old Fashion or Manhattan!

What Gary Says:
Nose: Young and brash, bright rye spice, orange zest, and subtle fresh pickles.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, softer on the palate than the nose, mellow, light fruit, orange zest, bit of spice kicking into the finish.
Finish: Fairly short.
Comments: Interesting rye whiskey – on the nose it screams MGP high rye (which I suspect is its origin), but on the palate it was out of sync for me – feeling a bit more like a “barely legal rye”. While the nose is brash and sharp (as you expect in a rye), the palate is much more mellow and soft; lacking that rye kick, although it picks up in the end. It reminds me a bit of Dickel Rye with how mellow it is on the palate, and I like that – although that is 2/3 the price of this, so not sure I’ll rush out to grab a bottle.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Minty, floral sweet, grassy, and fresh. Classic (relatively) young MGP rye. We smell it so often that if we aren’t careful we all begin to believe that MGP’s rye is what all rye is supposed to smell like just from the numbers of bottles of their rye on the shelves.
Palate: Herbaceous and minty sweet.
Finish: Slightly bitter and rather short.
Comments: Ah…another in a long, long, LONG string of bottlers giving us their particular slice of MGP’s stock of rye whiskey. There is nothing wrong with this particular expression of MGP rye. Rather, it’s that this rye is becoming so ubiquitous that it’s hard for newer bottlers to stand out. My advice…if you are going down the MGP rye route you need to do something to the damn whiskey to give it your own stamp. “Blending” various barrels of it just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Yellow Rose Distilling for sending us a sample for review.

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High West Yippee Ki-Yay

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review, Rye Whiskey /

High West Yippee Ki-Yay
A Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys
Batch 1
46% ABV
$65
Website
yippeekiyay_spiritbottle
What the Blender Says:
Available December 5th at High West locations. One day, just for fun, we put some rye whiskey into barrels originally used to age wine. When we mixed the ‘vermouth-ed’ (Vya, Madera, CA) and the ‘syrah-ed’ (Qupé Santa Maria, CA) we discovered an all-natural, not disgustingly sweet whiskey for the rest of us.

How to Enjoy:
Yippee Ki-Yay™ is great as an aperitif on ice, neat with dessert, or on its own. Try it in a Manhattan. This stuff rocks.

The Name:
Where did “Yippee Ki-Yay” come from? Is it a real expression of joy popular with cowboys in the 19th century Western United States? Is it part of the greatest one liner in movie history? Was it influenced by the phrase ‘Yippie-yi-yo-ki-yay’ from the 1936 hit song “I’m an Old Cow Hand from the Rio Grande” about a 20th-century cowboy who has little in common with cowpunchers of old and sung by Bing Crosby in the film “Rhythm on the Range” (also sung later by Roy Rogers and Frank Sinatra) and considered one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time? We’re not sure. But we are sure we like how we feel when we say it… and recommend you use it every chance you get.

Back Label Story:
We confess…we didn’t coin the term “Yippee Ki-Yay”. Moreover, we didn’t paint the picture on the front label. It’s an historic poster (Gift of The Coe Foundation and Henry B. Balink) now at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming (centerofthewest.org, you really ought to visit). Furthermore, we didn’t distill the whiskeys in this bottle (it’s our Double Rye!® – sourced whiskey – see highwest.com for details). However, we did come up with a combination that we think will make you say…Yippee Ki-Yay drinkers of horrible tasting cheap flavored uisge beatha! One day, just for fun, we put Double Rye!® into oak barrels that had originally been used to age two different types of wine (see highwest.com for details) and discovered an all-natural, not disgustingly-sweet sipper for the rest of us.High West’s Yippee Ki-YayTM is great as an aperitif on ice, neat with dessert, on its own, or try it in a Manhattan. This stuff rocks.

Not chill filtered marriage of two straight rye whiskies
The 2-year-old: 95% rye, 5% barley malt mashbill (LDI now MGP)
The older rye has a “barely legal” rye mashbill of: 53% rye, 37% corn (Barton Distillery)

Barrel type: Oak barrel that previously held Vermouth Barrel (Vya, Madera, CA), Oak barrel that previously held Qupé Syrah (Qupé Santa maria, CA)
Color: An unusual beautiful ruby red (from the Syrah barrel finish)
Nose: Fresh cinnamon stick, crushed blackberries (cassis) with some herbs (thyme and sage) in the background.
Taste: A big, bold punch of cinnamon spice and blackberries on a foundation of vanilla and caramel, the long finish is dried orange rind and herbs.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Wow – like a funky cocktail! Heavy wine influence & vermouth, which for me overpowers the whiskey
Palate: Warm, odd fermented dark fruit with herbal notes (sage).
Finish: Moderate in length
Comments: First off, I consider myself a big High West fan. I think David Perkins is a class act, and High West has done some marvelous things – and I appreciate the transparency with which they’ve done them! This might be a great gateway whiskey for wine fans, but I didn’t love it – just too much of the wine & vermouth influence for me. Honestly, it could be fermented [fill in the blank]. The whiskey foundation for me was lost. It reminded me a bit of Perique (a tobacco liqueur), which I also like – but it isn’t whiskey. I applaud the innovation, and if you like vermouth and wine – you might absolutely love this. I’m not a big fan of either, and while a big rye fan – this wasn’t in my wheelhouse.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: The wine really lays heavy on the nose with notes of cinnamon, stewed dark fruits, balsamic vinegar, and red wine.
Palate: Mulled wine with cinnamon sticks floating in it and a big spoonful of blackberry jam. It really kind of reminds me of Swedish Glogg a bit.
Finish: Minty and slightly woody.
Comments: Yum! I’m not the biggest vermouth fan but I really like this. It’s more in the vein of A Midwinter Night’s Dram. It reminds of a lovely evening by the fire during the holidays. Maybe it’s the association with Glogg but either way I really enjoy this. It’s like Angel’s Envy Rye in that I like it a lot but the unique flavor is something I would have to be in the mood for and wouldn’t want all the time.
Rating: Stands Out

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