Rye Whiskey

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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High West Rendezvous Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

High West Whiskey Rendezvous Rye
Batch 1349, Bottle 109
46% ABV
$45 to $55
Website
Rendezvous Rye
What the Distillery Says:
Rendezvous Rye is a blend of two exotic straight rye whiskies; one old, and one young. It marries the rich aromatic qualities of a 16-year-old rye with the bold spicy properties of 6-year-old rye to create a full flavored, very complex whiskey. The 6-year-old boasts an uncommonly high 95% rye mash bill. Almost every other straight rye whiskey you can buy today is barely legal, with 51-53% rye in the mash bill. Not Rendezvous Rye. It honors the way rye whiskey used to be made, with a high rye content and full, uncompromised flavor. With Rendezvous Rye, you get a taste of authentic rye whiskey. We hope you enjoy it.

What Richard Says:
Nose: That great rye spearmint note comes through first. Sweet stone fruits, fresh cut grass and buttery notes.
Palate: Molasses sweetness, well balanced, with the rye spice on the back end.
Finish: Rye pepper, light wood, and minty finish lingering to mid length.
Comments: This was my first introduction to High West, and while iterations have varied a bit I still find it to be a great all around rye. It is killer in cocktails and a lovely sipping rye. Kudos to Dave Perkins for his blending talents.
Rating: Must Try

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Thomas H. Handy Rye 2009

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
2009 Release
64.5% ABV
$70 to $90
Website
thomas_h_handy
What the Distillery Says:
Named after the New Orleans bartender who first used rye whiskey in the Sazerac Cocktail, this uncut and unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey is bottled directly from the barrel, just as it was over a century ago. Full of rich flavors, this authentic American rye whiskey is a symbol of the timeless history of New Orleans and the legacy of Thomas H. Handy.

TASTING NOTES:
Powerful, lush, and boldly spicy. Flavors of toffee, fig cake, and candied fruit, followed by mint, cinnamon and clove. The finish ultimately reveals subtle notes of allspice, coconut and nutmeg. Long and warm.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Licorice, mint, melons, and brown sugar. There is a ton going on in the nose here. It’s like a symphony that I’m having trouble pulling out the various instruments.
Palate: Rich and sweet with lots of oranges, vanilla, and caramel.
Finish: Fire water out the bottle and with the right amount of water a lovely mint finish develops.
Comments: Yes, I know you’re all super men and wonder women but this is bottled at 64.5% ABV. Please add some water or you won’t be able to taste shit after your first few sips of this. If they weren’t charging so much for a 7 year old rye I’d tell you that you had to buy it but being north of $70 is steep.
Rating:Must Try

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Knob Creek Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Knob Creek Small Batch Rye Whiskey
50% ABV
$40
Website
Knob Creek Rye
What the Distillery Says:
Made with a blend of the finest quality rye to create an extraordinarily smooth yet spicy finish.

Color: Shades of gold to light amber.
Taste: Bold rye spiciness with undertones of vanilla and oak.
Aroma: Expansive notes of herbs and rye with nuances of oak.
Finish: Warm and smooth with spice throughout.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rye spice, lightly minty, herbal notes reminding me of herb liqueurs like herbsaint, and a little cinnamon.
Palate: Creamy and bitter…an odd combination. This isn’t a minty lightly sweet right. This is spicy.
Finish: Black pepper, bitter wood, and very dry.
Comments: Beam Global really wants you to pay $40+ for one of their ryes. They first tried it with Ri(1) a few years back and no one wanted to pay that much for Jim Beam Rye in a sexy bottle (same recipe as Beam only makes one rye whiskey recipe). Now they want to leverage their successful Knob Creek brand and get you to pay that much for a NAS (no age statement) rye at 100 proof just because it has the Knob Creek name on it. Well, it’s $10 more than 9 year old Knob Creek bourbon so I’ll say no thanks. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad rye. It’s just nothing special and in my mind you can do a lot better for a lot less coin.
Rating: Average

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Wild Turkey Rye 101

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (Old Version)
50.5%
$25 (discontinued)
Website
What the Distillery Says:
(Product information is no longer available)

What Richard Says:
Nose: Out of the bottle the nose is pretty quiet. With water it comes across like spearmint and Bazooka Joe bubble gum.
Palate: Pepper and raw vanilla extract poured over wood staves. At the very back is that rye mint note.
Finish: Long slow oak. Th rye mint note clings to the front of the tongue as the wood rolls down the back. Way back in the end of the finish I get a weird fennel see/anise/licorice type note that lingers.
Comments: It’s gone I know. The replacement of this with the 81 proof version makes me very sad indeed. Stop watering down my whiskey damn it! I can do that myself. Anyway, this is really a Whisk(e)y Apostle swan song to a former front bar rye now gone. The only $15 to $25 all around rye for drinking, mixing, and cocktails that I like more than this is Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond. Now I don’t have the choice anymore.
Rating: Stands Out
(Officially, Wild Turkey says that 81 is not a replacement but they don’t even list 101 as one of their product on their website anymore)

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