rye whiskey

Review: Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2020)

For the last several years, Michter’s has knocked it out of the park with their toasted barrel finished whiskies. While they were all of outstanding quality, the one that stood out for me was their Toasted Barrel Finish Rye Whiskey. There was something special about it. Here’s what I wrote about their 2017 release:

The nose is ripe with dark brown sugar, vanilla and a cornucopia of baking spices.  The latter is more pronounced here than in Michter’s Barrel Proof Rye.  On the palate, this toasted barrel-finished rye comes across as rich and bittersweet.  Dark caramel and burnt sugar kick things off, followed by lovely toasted rye bread and a cabinet full of baking spices like allspice, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.  A layer of vanilla cream acts as a counterbalance against all the spice.  The medium-length finish features spiced caramel and a touch of smoke.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Part of the reason is the quality of those custom toasted barrels, which were made from 24 month seasoned wood. The barrel finishing adds layers of baking spice and vanilla richness to an already bold rye whiskey. That rye whiskey also obtains its richness from a lower barrel entry proof. Michter’s new make spirit enters the barrel at 103 proof as opposed to the standard 125 proof used by a lot of other distillers.

Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye is bottled at cask strength, with the average bottling proof sitting around 109. My sample bottle came in at 110 proof, though it drinks more like a 95 or 100 proof whiskey. As far as tasting notes, I’m keen to ask you to refer to my notes for the 2017 release above. My 2020 sample shows very slight subtleties, such as a touch of burnt orange peel in the mid-palate. After all, these are single barrel releases so slight variance is to be expected. But this goes to show the strict tolerances in keeping their flavor profile intact between releases. Kudos to the Michter’s team. For a suggested retail price of $85, you can’t find a much tastier rye on the market.

Thanks to Michter’s for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey

Recently, Heaven Hill Distillery added a new whiskey to its Elijah Craig lineup – a straight rye whiskey. Like its small batch bourbon sibling, the new rye whiskey is bottled at 94 proof. The mash bill used here is 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley.

My excitement for news of a brand extension is always met with a bit of anxiousness. That’s especially true here. After all, Elijah Craig bourbon, in both its small batch and barrel proof forms, is some of the highest caliber whiskey consumers can easily obtain, especially given its value for money. By the way, this new rye whiskey has a suggested retail price of $29.99. It fits right in price-wise, but how does it taste?

The nose features hints of toasted rye grain, maple syrup, vanilla, and spice. Taste-wise, the new rye whiskey offers a wonderfully delightful exhibition of sweet and spicy. Sharp rye notes complement vanilla cake. Layers of baking spice quickly develop, leading to honey and dried fruit. The finish turns a touch dry with a lingering sweet oak note.

Like the other Elijah Craig expressions, this new rye whiskey offers tons of flavor for a reasonable price. But put the cost aside for a moment. This is delicious. It drinks as easily as Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, but doesn’t carry over the big oaky notes. That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news is that this fantastic rye whiskey is only launching in four markets – North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Oregon. It’ll take some time to spread to the rest of the country. Patience is a virtue, unless you can find a mule from one of the aforementioned markets to snag a bottle for you.

Elijahcraig.com

Thanks to Heaven Hill for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

REVIEW: WhistlePig “NOBF 2020: The Deuce” Single Barrel Rye

We’re a few short months away from the 2020 New Orleans Bourbon Festival (NOBF), but that hasn’t stopped founders Barbara Hirsch-Napolitano and Tracy Napolitano from visiting the country’s distilleries to pick barrels. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.

I’ve had the pleasure of joining Barbara and Tracy for NOBF barrel picks before, and was actually scheduled to visit WhistlePig distillery for this one. However, my clumsy ass badly sprained my ankle just two weeks before the visit, tearing a ligament in the process. Talk about bad timing. So it was with great anticipation I awaited this release – the fruits of their labors.

WhistlePig “The Deuce” is about 12 and a half years old, bottled at 119.6 proof. It’s 100% rye distilled in Canada and aged in Vermont. I’m a big fan of WhistlePig’s standard 10-year-old bottling. It’s a big, satisfying rye whiskey. “The Deuce” takes that standard profile and cranks it up a notch or two.

The nose carries lots of butterscotch alongside hints of rye spice, vanilla, and cardamom. Sweet cane syrup hits the palate first, soon followed by waves of spiced caramel and juicy red fruit. Rye spice slowly ramps up and makes headway in the mid-to-back palate. A touch of toasted oak appears just before the long, warming finish. Vermont hugs are just as warming and welcoming as Kentucky hugs.

Not only is WhistlePig my favorite release from the brand, it’s also my favorite New Orleans Bourbon Festival barrel pick. The rye whiskey is big and bold, sweet and spicy, and has just enough flavor components in-between. It’s complex, but more importantly it’s tasty as hell. You can pick up this bottle for about $75 in high-end New Orleans-area retail shops. I think I’d better grab a second bottle. Totally worth it.