whiskey review

Few Rye Whiskey Review

This is the last in a series of posts  devoted to craft distillery Few Spirits.  I posted a short interview with their founder & master distiller Paul Hletko, and posted about their bourbon.  In addition to distilling and aging bourbon, Few Spirits also makes a rye whiskey.  They were kind enough to send me a small sample.

Photo courtesy of Few Spirits

Photo courtesy of Few Spirits

Just like their other spirits, Few rye whiskey’s label contains the same kind of 1892 Chicago World’s Expo art.  The company’s love for Chicago can’t be made clearer.  It’s easily one of my favorite label designs.

In the glass, it smells a little grainy and a little like sweet corn.   Much like their bourbon, Few’s rye whiskey tastes of like sweet corn and caramel… just not in the same amount as the bourbon.  This is also much more rye forward given it’s a rye whiskey.  It’s not super spicy, however.   The spice is held in check.  There’s also a little oak.  The finish is quick and dry.

This 93 proof rye whiskey runs about $50.  This is the first rye whiskey I’ve sampled that’s not from a large distillery.  It’s different than mass produced rye whiskies.  Not better or worse, just different.   I’m probably not stating this correctly, but it feels like I get more of the “raw grain” flavor than the depth of flavors I get from more aged whiskies.   Personally, I prefer the latter.  However, I suggest you try this one if you ever come across it.  You won’t be disappointed.

6/10

Few Bourbon Whiskey Review

With some anticipation, I’m ecstatic to finally sample Few bourbon whiskey.   In addition to providing access to their founder and master distiller Paul Hletko for an interview, Few Spirits provided me a sample of their bourbon and rye whiskies.

Photo courtesy of Few Spirits

Let’s start off with packaging.  While it’s bottle is similar in shape to Diageo’s rectangular Orphan Barrel  bottles, Few has a label that beckons the 1893 Chicago World’s Exposition.  My fiancee Carly is a Chicago World’s Expo maniac.  You can imagine her excitement when I told her about this post.  Great labeling that tells us the brand is based around Chicago AND stands out on a store shelf.

This bourbon comes in at 93 proof with no age statement.  Paul Hletko says he doesn’t believe in age statements because age is just one factor when it comes to making whiskey.   Not having an age statement doesn’t bother me, as long as the whiskey is good. So… how is it?

I get lots of sweet corn on the nose.  There’s also some earthiness and some wood.  Oak?  Probably, but it seems different than the oak I get in other bourbons.  Taste-wise, sweet corn is the key player here.  Some rye spice and a little caramel support it.   It’s nice, but not too complex.   The finish is quick and a little dry,  and leaves a semi-sweet aftertaste.  Makes you want to take another sip.

Overall this is an interesting whiskey.  It seems young to me, but it’s not as fiery and untamed like a young whiskey would taste.  The folks at Few Spirits have put together a nice bourbon.  A bottle of this craft whiskey will run you about $50, if you can find it – it’s only available in about a dozen states as of the writing of this post.

7/10

Rhetoric 20 Year Old Bourbon Review

Rhetoric is the third release in Diageo’s Orphan Barrel lineup of whiskies.  The first two releases, 26 year Old Blowhard and 20 year Barterhouse, were nice whiskies albeit a bit on the expensive side.  Rhetoric is also a 20 year old straight bourbon whiskey.  It was most probably distilled at the new Bernheim distillery, and aged at a Stizel-Weller warehouse.   It seems to be the same mashbill as Barterhouse, but aged in a different part of the warehouse.  What differentiates Rhetoric from its siblings is Diageo will continue to age the bourbon, releasing it once a year until it reaches a 25 year maturation point.  So, this year we have a 20 year old bourbon.  Next year we’ll have a 21 year old bourbon.  This continues until we get a 25 year old Rhetoric bourbon in 2019.

Rhetoric_Hi-Res Bottle Shot

(Disclaimer:  I received a small sample of Rhetoric from Diageo.)  I find the nose on Rhetoric similar to Barterhouse.  Some oak, which is expected given its age.  There was also some dried fruit (think light fruit cake) and a little bit of caramel.  Taste-wise, I found this a bit creamier…more viscous than Barterhouse.  The oak is there, but it’s not as in your face.  There’s a bit of caramel too.   The finish is quick, dry, and slightly bittersweet.

Overall, this is my favorite of the three bourbons in the Orphan Barrel series.  Rhetoric is 90 proof and will run you about $100.  It’s $15 more expensive than Barterhouse, yet both are 20 year old bourbons.  I liked Barterhouse enough to buy myself a bottle after I reviewed it.  Part of me wishes I would have waited to try Rhetoric first.  To me, the difference in taste is worth the extra $15… that’s considering you don’t mind paying   a C-Note for a bottle of bourbon.  It holds its flavors together better than Barterhouse.  Also, progressively aging and releasing this bourbon makes for an interesting experiment.

Well aged.

8.5/10