Rye Whiskey

Jefferson’s 10 Year Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Jefferson’s Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 10 Years
47% ABV/94 Proof
$35 to $40
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Jefferson’s Straight Rye Whiskey is the latest addition to the Jefferson’s Presidential Collection. Bottled at 94 proof, this 10-year-old whiskey offers a perfect combination of age, purity and strength. Distilled from 100% North American rye, it is rich, spicy and exceptionally smooth. A true classic.

Nose: Bright compelling, fruity/bakery aromas of baked banana bread, baked pears and apple cobbler make for delightful early-on sniffing; further air contact time of seven minutes encourages the ripe fruit aspect to deepen as gentle spice notes, especially pepper and allspice, round out an exceptional bouquet experience.

Taste: Moderately oily, delicately spiced and even a touch honeyed; midpalate features the spice element in spades, making for zesty, tangy sipping.

Finish: Aftertaste focuses squarely on the fruit component again along with the last minute hit of rye bread.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is very rich and creamy to me. I get very herbaceous notes and candied nuts.
Palate: This one is very sweet. It’s much sweeter than I would expect from a rye. Vanilla, caramel, and spearmint come through.
Finish: It reminds me of Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Ice Cream served on a barrel stave.
Comments: Many parallels have been drawn between this expression and WhistlePig which goes for almost twice the price. I haven’t tried the other but for $35 this is a nice aged rye. Easy to sip and easy to mix. What more can you really ask for?
Rating: Stands Out

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High West Double Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

High West Double Rye Whiskey
Batch no. 4 Bottle No. 510
46% ABV/92 Proof
$30 to $40
Website

What the Bottler/Blender Says:
Marriage of two straight rye whiskies that combines the feisty properties of a high rye 2-year-old and the saddle smooth richness of a 16-year-old. The 2-year-old has a 95% rye 5% barley malt mashbill. The older rye has a “barely legal” rye mashbill of 53% rye and 37% corn. The extra age and corn provides some extra sweetness to calm the “bite” of the younger rye for a relationship that works.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Pine needles, orange zest, licorice, and herbal tea.
Palate: Mellow in the mouth with notes of orange blossom honey and vanilla.
Finish: The finish is dry with lots of oak and black peppercorns. It’s not a very long finish but it’s forceful.
Comments: This is one of my favorites from High West. It’s very drinkable and the young and old ryes play off each other in very interesting way. This is must try for rye drinkers and something even non-rye drinkers should try not to pass up.
Rating: Must Try

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Michter’s Single Barrel Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
Barrel No. H135-62
42.4% ABV/84.8 Proof
$35 to $40
Website

What the Distillery Says:

Renowned for rye, America’s first whiskey, since our founding in 1753, we take production of every barrel of Michter’s Rye very seriously. Our US*1 Rye is made from select American rye grain that is sheared to enable the saturation of more flavor during fermentation. It is then aged in a heated warehouse. This premium rye has hints of light spice, black pepper, marmalade and plum, spicy grain and light caramel.

Production: Single barrel. Limited quantities.
Bottling Strength: 84.8 Proof (42.4% Alcohol by Volume)
Cooperage: Fire-charred, new American white oak barrels.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This is very sweet on the nose. I get burnt caramel, vanilla latte, and a peach & plum fruitiness.
Palate: This one is fun to roll around in the mouth. Surprisingly creamy for a young-ish rye. Sweet and spicy. Caramel and white pepper.
Finish: Oak and pepper. It’s a little hot on the finish. Surprisingly so given how smooth the palate is.
Comments: The folks at Chatham sent over their entry level trio. Of the three this is by far my favorite. It’s tasty, easy to drink, and makes a mean cocktail. My only real complaint is the price point. That’s really a general complaint for the entry range. This is a solid rye but there are others in the sub-$30 range that give you just as much with more bang for you buck.
Rating: Stands Out

I would like to thank Emily with Chatham Imports for sending over a bottle for review.

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Templeton Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Templeton Small Batch Rye Whiskey
40% ABV/80 Proof
$39.99
Currently very hard to find

What the Distillery Says:
Upon first impression, the unique, small batch rye whiskey presents a rye spiciness and almost bittersweet taste that is found in the rye grain. Other impressions are dried fruit, toffee, caramel notes and allspice flavors.

Color: Deep amber
Nose: Mellow, yet complex balance
Palate: Dense mixture of spiciness with sweet undertones of dried fruit, toffee, and caramel
Finish: Clean and spicy

What Richard Says:
Nose: Licorice, clove, cocktail bitters, and something meaty that I can’t put my finger on. It all comes together in a pleasant way.
Palate: You really get that characteristic spicy zing from rye. It plays with a notable sweetness reminscent of candy. Candied fruit maybe?
Finish: It finishes warm and spicy.
Comments: I really like this one. It’s a shame that it’s so hard to get a hold of. With LDI (the original source) running low on aged rye stock we may not see too much relief in that regard in the near future.
Rating: Stands Out

Our thanks to The Baddish Group for providing us review samples.

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Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey
50% ABV
$15 to $20
Widely availble in the U.S.

What the Distillery Says:
Produced in the tradition of the classic Pennsylvania or Monongahela rye whiskies, Rittenhouse is a much acclaimed rye now enjoying a renaissance in the major metro markets of the country. Available in the standard 80° bottling or in a special Bottled In Bond expression, Rittenhouse is a tribute to the classic rye whiskies that were once the preeminent American whiskey style, kept alive through the many lean years by Heaven Hill and two other Kentucky distilleries.

What Richard Says:
Nose:Caramel, wood, and something meaty.
Palate:Very smooth in the mouth for a 100 proof whiskey. Much more luscious than the 80 proof expression. Spicy rye notes with a cinnamon under current stand out.
Finish:The finish is all spice but again smoother than I would’ve expected of this proof.
Comments: There are so few remaining “secret” drams out there of great whiskeys at great prices. I fear that by telling all of you about it this one will become less secret still. A great value dram that all rye and cocktail drinkers should have in their bar.
Rating:Must Buy/Best Buy

What Matt Says:
Nose: Oak, honeydew, and caramel dominate.
Palate: Slightly oily, though not as much as the 80 proof.  The oak is a lot more prevalent in this expression.  Bitter and resinous oak notes skip about with deeper toasted notes (some char too),  There is a dry, pungent tobacco note nestled in there.  Caramel, mint, anise (clove reveals itself with a little water).
Finish: Minty and numbing (even more so than the 80 proof expression).
Comments: I would like to amend my statement from our review on the standard Rittenhouse expression.  It’s not that the Bottled In Bond version is better, but that it’s more versatile.  Without water, you get a high test rye that tastes great.  If you water to 80-90 proof, you get all the complexity of flavor we found in the standard expression.  Even a small amount of water makes this puppy blossom like honeysuckle in Spring.  I really cannot recommend this more highly.  It’s dirt cheap and really great.  I’ve been told that it’s becoming hard to find in some markets because of the rye lust that hit the country a little while back.  Be patient though, after the hipsters and mixologists move on to tiki drinks or some other thing, you can stock up on this again.  It’s always on my shelf.  So if all else fails, have a dram with me.  My wife even likes it!
Rating:  Must Buy/Best Buy

Overall Rating:Must Buy/Best Buy

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