rye whiskey

WhistlePig Rye Whiskey Review

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I’ve seen that bottle of WhistlePig Rye Whiskey on the shelves for a while now.  100% rye. Aged 10 years.  You’ve got my attention.  However for some reason or another, I never seem to walk out of the store with a bottle.  I contacted WhistlePig for a review sample, which they graciously provided.

On the nose, there’s a slight grain quality, salty caramel, oak, sweet grass and even a little citrus (orange).  The entry is slightly hot, with some butterscotch, caramel, nutmeg and spice, and lastly a little vanilla.  I found the finish to be sweet, and moderate in length.  The heat fades quickly and leaves behind a little spice.  Nice.

After tasting WhistlePig, I feel the need to keep a bottle of this on my shelf.  It’s a really a nicely balanced, nicely aged rye whiskey.  The price is just north of $65 for this 100 proof whiskey.  Shame on me for passing on this whiskey in the past.  Pick up a bottle if you’re looking for a tasty, easy-sipping rye whiskey.

8/10  Outstanding!

Sazerac 18 Year Old Rye Whiskey (2014) Review

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Earlier this year I wrote about the 2013 release of Sazerac 18 year old rye whiskey.  There was so much depth of flavor and elegance, it easily became one of my favorite rye whiskies.  Now, Buffalo Trace has release this year’s Sazerac 18 year old rye, along with the rest of their Antique Collection.

For the last few years, Sazerac 18 year old comes from the same well…er, vat of whiskey.  This whiskey was distilled in 1985 and aged 18 years in barrels.  When it came of age, it was taken out of barrels and moved into stainless steel vats, thus killing the aging process.  Presumably, this should keep the whiskey the same or very close year to year.  Some folks say oxidation is starting to play a part.  I’m not sure – maybe I can compare the 2013 to the 2014 edition in a future post.

Buffalo Trace supplied a review sample.  The smell is, to me, the most complex of all the Antique Collection and very similar to last year’s.  I get oak, caramel, molasses, rye spice, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In the glass, there’s a subtly spicy entry, followed by oak and caramel.  Then there’s cinnamon  and even a little mint.  The finish is long and dry.

Sazerac 18 year old rye whiskey can be best described as elegant.  It’s like wearing your favorite old jacket when the weather starts to cool.  The flavors work together too well.  The last few years this has been a standout whiskey, and this year is no exception.  This one comes with my highest recommendation.

9.5/10

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey (2014) Review

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The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection contains three bourbons and two rye whiskies.  Of those two rye whiskies, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac rye is the younger barrel proof whiskey.    Thomas H. Handy Sazerac is basically an uncut and unfiltered version of Sazerac 6-ish year old 90 proof rye whiskey.  This year’s edition comes in at 129.2 proof.

According to Buffalo Trace’s website, Thomas H. Handy was the first bartender to use rye whiskey in a sazerac cocktail instead of cognac.  This happened right here in New Orleans.  The whisky’s label lovingly reflects its New Orleans heritage.  So, how does it taste?

Buffalo Trace Distillery provided a review sample.  Right off, there’s a grassy/grainy smell.  Beyond that there’s some cinnamon and a little burnt caramel.  This whisky tastes quite oaky, more than what I was expecting.  There’s some rye spice and caramel.  I even get a little fruit cake.  The finish is long, spicy and dry (probably because of the oak).

This year’s Thomas Handy rye is good, but I like last year’s better.  I found a bottle of the 2013 this past spring just sitting on a shelf at a local supermarket.  What are the odds?  The 2013 edition seemed to have all the flavors come together better than the 2014 edition.  That isn’t to say the flavors are all over the place.  Put it like this, if I could buy all 5 whiskies of this year’s Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, I would.  If I only had the chance to buy 4 of the 5 whiskies, I’d leave this one on the shelf.

7.5/10