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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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Yellow Rose Blended Whiskey

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

Yellow Rose Blended Whiskey
40% ABV
$35
Website
yellowrose-blended-whiskey
What the Bottler Says:
Yellow Rose Blended Whiskey is a fusion of character just like Texas culture. A perfect blend of southern charm and rustic cowboy ensures a smooth drinking whiskey with plenty of heart. Our blended whiskey is fuller flavor than typical Canadian blends due to a higher bourbon content.

Still easy to drink and slightly sweet, Yellow Rose Blended whiskey is great on the rocks or as a mixer

COLOR: Deep gold
NOSE: Light aroma, fruity banana with caramel
PALATE: Sweet with banana
FINISH: Medium finish
COMMENTS: Full flavored blend that is still easy to drink

What Gary Says:
Nose: Very light, faint sweetness and a bit of wood & alcohol.
Palate: Sweet but thin, with just a hint of oak & fruit.
Finish: Fairly quick.
Comments: I set my bar lower for blended whiskey than bourbon, and this managed to limbo in just under my expectations. I definitely didn’t get the fuller flavor they mentioned. On the nose, my mind drifted more towards cleaning chemicals than whiskey. To be fair, I like to sample something multiple times over a period of time, and I threw my notes out from my first go (as I think the pollen-apolypse we experience here in Georgia every spring was throwing me off). Maybe it would grow on me, but for the price point I don’t think I’d give it a chance.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Banana Mama cocktails on the beach in Cancun.
Palate: Smoked honey drizzled over a fruit cocktail with bananas foster on the side.
Finish: Sweet and mellow with a hint pepper.
Comments: This was a surprise. I really expected it to be awful. When I see “blended whiskey” I tend to think of Seagram 7 or something equally awful. This is a bit too sweet for my taste but it is very easily drinkable and not offputting in the least. $35 is a bit steep but I wouldn’t turn down a glass.
Rating: Stands Out

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

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Colonel E.H. Taylor Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Kentucky Rye Whiskey
50% ABV
$70
Website
EHT-straightrye
What the Distillery Says:
Straight Rye Whiskey has experienced a strong resurgence in the American whiskey landscape, yet Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. was making this style more than 100 years ago. This small batch, Bottled-in-Bond 100 proof straight rye whiskey pays tribute to the former Distillery owner with a unique rye whiskey reminiscent of days long past.

TASTING NOTES:
An altogether different recipe and profile than Sazerac Rye, this recipe contains just rye and malted barley, no corn. The result is an aroma full of dried fruit, black pepper, and touch of fresh dill. A small sip brings an array of flavors both sweet and savory with a terrific balance of dark spices and subtle caramel overtones. The finish is especially pleasing with an oaky dryness that lingers just long enough.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Oaky, citrus rye spice, bit of crushed mint & burnt toast; not particularly sweet.
Palate: Bright & sharp – more of a herbal/savory spice than sweetness, hints of caramel crèmes; mouthfeel is a bit thin.
Finish: Dries as it lingers, but not unpleasant.
Comments: Unlike some “barely legal” ryes (like Pikesville or Rittenhouse BIB) which are just over 50% rye in the mash, this has no corn in the mashbill. That isn’t necessarily uncommon (many MGP distilled rye are a mashbill of only rye & barley), but it does explain the sharp/spiciness that comes through without as much of the sweet (which corn is well known to deliver). I like it well enough, and while not age-stated (BIB means at least four years old), I would guess this to be 6-10 yrs old. It just doesn’t have anything unique/special about it for me that would justify the price. In fact, had I laid out my own dough for a bottle – I would be disappointed. Thankfully, I’ve got very generous friends. And, the whiskey itself is nice (just that there are a LOT of nice ryes out there for way less money).
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: This one is like an Old Fashioned all by itself. Minty, peppery rye spice with muddled oranges and candied fruit sweetness.
Palate: A big fat miss on the mouthfeel. I would expect an older bottled in bond whiskey to have a creamier mouthfeel. It seems like they chill filtered the shit out of this one. It is kind of soft and caramel sweet with a bitter and peppery bite.
Finish: Dry and woody.
Comments: I want to like this. I really do. Especially since it is my $70 that went out for this bottle. But as much as I want to really like it I find it a little blah. In fact, for $70 I find it really blah. I’ve heard rumors that this new rye recipe may be a blending component in Buffalo Trace’s distilled replacement for Van Winkle Rye. I hope that if that is true then it is either much better around 13 years or the blend components are more than the sum of their parts.
Rating: Average

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Teeling Single Grain

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey
46%
$45
Website
Singlegrain_big
What the Distillery Says:
Single Grain – Recently Awarded World’s Best Grain at the World Whiskies Awards, 2014. This award-winning addition is one of only a handful of Single Grain Bottlings in the world.

It is fully matured in Californian red wine barrels resulting in an intensely fruity and beautifully amber liquid, with lush berry notes.

Hand selected casks, bottled at 46% with no chill filtration to ensure all the unique flavour is captured.

Nose: Spice and fruit notes mingle with an underlying sweet nose.
Taste: Strong spice at the start developing into lush red berries and grapes, with drying tannin effect at the end.
Finish: Dry finish dominated by wood and spice.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The first whiff is a harsh snip of nail polish remover. If you give it a couple of drops of water and a few minutes to open then slight notes of Brach’s butterscotch candies and vanilla buttercream frosting.
Palate: There is a nice plum fruitiness mixed with notes of under ripe apples. It has a creamy round body finishing with salted butter and honey.
Finish: Short with just a hint of wood and tannic notes.
Comments: There is a lot here to like but it doesn’t really seem to come together the right way. I seems like this needs some more work.
Rating: Average

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Knappogue Castle 12 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey Aged 12 Years
40% ABV
$40
Website
menu-bottle12
What the Bottler Says:
Introducing Knappogue Castle® 12 Year Old. Continuing an Andrews family tradition of exceptional quality Irish Single Malts. Our Passion is for Perfection.

Knappogue Castle announces the first time release of its 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. A new package design reflects the change from vintage dating to age designation. As the original vintage dated whiskey, Knappogue is undertaking this change to bring greater clarity to the age of the product.

“We found that some consumers didn’t realize how long Knappogue Castle Single Malt was aged, therefore missing a very important part of what we do to make it smooth, bright and spicy” observes Mark Andrews, son of the brand’s founder. “We want to be perfectly clear about the age of Knappogue Castle Single Malt. Now, there’s no need to calculate how long it was aged because we’re stating it boldly on the front label. The age of the product is something we’re proud of along with the fact that no color is added” says Mr. Andrews. “Although our standard offering will be the 12 year old single malt, we will continue to have special bottlings of rare and unique distillations which will most likely bear a vintage date.”

Tasting Notes:
Mellow, well rounded, well balanced, medium intensity; a bright, elegant fruit and mildly spicy taste with a medium-long, clean finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Grassy, fresh and light with a fruity and slightly herbaceous nose.
Palate: Creamy with a light fruity sweetness that reminds me of peaches and cream with a marshmallow on top.
Finish: A hint of pepper on the transition and then mild and mellow.
Comments: Irish whiskey is not unmalted triple distilled scotch from an island to the west. There are very fine flavors and textures that make Irish whiskey delicious and sought after in it’s own right. One of the more divisive things is a more mild and mellow drinkability. Scotch detractors will say it is more easy drinking without all the harsh things they don’t like about scotch. Scotch lovers may say Irish is too bland. I judge each whiskey individually and try at all costs to avoid generalization. This one however, I feel is under proofed and too bland. It doesn’t have anything about it that makes me want more. Another 6 to 12 proof points and maybe a smattering of sherry barrels in the mix would help a lot. That said, others may really enjoy this as a smooth go-to whiskey. Only your taste can tell you. [Source Distillery: Bushmills.]
Rating: Average

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