Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Rye

Was looking for a Rye and noticed Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Rye was on sale awhile back for $35, so I figured why not give it a whirl. At 90 proof I did not expect this to be a barn burner, rather a daily drinker. The aroma was rye with honeysuckle, vanilla, and cinnamon. The flavor was more honeysuckle, cinnamon, a hint of black pepper, vanilla, light leather, and of course a light rye spice. The finish was black pepper with cinnamon and vanilla fading into the aftertaste. The alcohol only appeared post consumption and reminded you this is an alcoholic spirit. It was not overdone, but at the same time was only mildly restrained. As with all the Russell’s Reserve products this was delicious, approachable, and affordable. Don’t hesitate to buy this rye. While it won’t blow your socks off with complexity, it will scratch that itch for a nice Rye Whiskey.

Stellum Rye

I’ve seen several positive reviews of Stellum Rye, so when I happened upon a bottle I decided to give it a try. At 116.24 proof this had potential to be a hottie. At a price point of 55 bucks per bottle, I was hopeful I would like this Rye. My first couple of pours seemed to have a mint characteristic, but after having glasses with a clean palate, I think it was due to the interaction with what I had eaten or drank prior to the glass. The website indicates this is a Rye blend of 95% Indiana Rye with the remainder being comprised of barrels from Kentucky and Tennessee. The aroma was leather, brown sugar, caramel, black pepper, sweat, baked apples, and an underlying earthy note. The flavor was initially sweet with brown sugar, caramel, apples, slight black pepper, melon, and just a slight hint of mint. The finish had apples, brown sugar, and light black pepper long into the aftertaste. If you’re paying attention, what I didn’t mention was alcohol. Sure it was present, but always in the background and never strong nor oppressive. I’m not exactly sure how they made a high proof Rye without a strong presence of alcohol, but here it is. There is a lower proof Rye which is slightly less expensive I prefer more, but when you consider the proof on this one the price point seems appropriate. I’m not going to run out and grab another bottle, but perhaps you should if high proof spirits are you favorite. Give it a whirl and see what you think.

Redwood Empire Lost Monarch

Many people reported loving Redwood Empire Lost Monarch so I had to give this blend a try. It took awhile, but I finally snagged a bottle. I’m still not sure why it was difficult to find, but when I did, it had a $40 price point on the 45% ABV Whiskey. I was hopeful after trying Pipe Dream this would be just as delicious, but it turned out to have more in common with Emerald Giant. That’s understandable once you realize this is a blend of 60% Rye Whiskey and 40% Bourbon. The aroma was filled with spicy rye, black pepper, brown sugar, clove, and hints of spearmint. The flavor was slightly sweet and focused on caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, black pepper, rye, and of course spearmint. The finish was restrained brown sugar and caramel, light black pepper, and lasting low spearmint. I’m just not a fan of spearmint in my rye so this one, although the spearmint is restrained, doesn’t make me want to purchase another bottle. If you love EG then this bottle is definitely one you should try, otherwise, go for the Pipe Dream.

PS: The namesake for this Whiskey is a 321 foot tall coastal redwood.

Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye Whiskey

I happened upon Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye Whiskey at NCABC and figured I should give it a try. The 90 proof rye was 40 bucks so it didn’t seem like there was much to lose with the purchase. I like the story behind Redwood Empire and thought I had something nice after the first pour, however sometimes first impressions aren’t correct. Let’s discuss what I perceive. The aroma has always had a nice brown sugar backbone, rye spice, black pepper, and cinnamon. Also present is a spearmint note which I just don’t love. It has a fusel alcohol note accompanying it which seemed to increase the further I got into the bottle. The flavor was much like the aroma with brown sugar, rye, black pepper, and cinnamon. Unfortunately that same spearmint character was far too prevalent for my taste. The finish was pepper, cinnamon, brown sugar, and spearmint into the finality of the aftertaste. The alcohol was restrained with only a bit of warming present post consumption. Had it not been for the spearmint this would have been a good bottle, but for me it was too much and too strong. Once I realized it was there I just couldn’t steer my palate away from it. So this is a one and done for me. If you like/appreciate spearmint then this bottle will probably be your cup of tea. Rest assured I’ll leave it on the shelf for you to find.

Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Rye

Happened upon Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Rye in the ABC store and figured why not give it a try. With a standard NCABC price of $25 and sale price of $22 there wasn’t much to loose in trying this 90 proof Rye. While the flavor wasn’t mind blowing, it wasn’t a slouch either. The aroma greets the nose with brown sugar, rye, black pepper, and oak. The flavor was filled with black pepper, rye spice, and more oak surrounded by subtle brown sugar. The finish was lingering black pepper and oak and a warming alcohol presence which was stronger than anticipated from a 45% ABV Rye. Not bad rye at all for the price point so snag a bottle if you need a budget friendly rye. You shouldn’t be disappointed and you won’t be out too much coin.

Pinhook Rye’d On Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Not sure where I happened upon Pinhook Rye’d On, nor what it cost, but NCABC pricing is currently 42 beans. This 97 proof Rye is from the 2020 crop according to the bottle. This particular Rye was distilled and aged over 2 years at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY. The aroma was quite subdued, but presented with caramel, rye, and hints of spearmint. The flavor was more bold with the same caramel and rye, but the spearmint was strong, almost too strong. The finish was spearmint and peaches long with hints of rye and black pepper fading into the aftertaste. It was ok, but I’m not a big fan of spearmint and spearmint mixed with peaches is just a bit too much for me. So it’s a decent rye and fairly easy to consume, but it’s not one I’d come back to at that price of admission. Give it a try if you are a spearmint fan as it just might be your cup of tea.

The Whistler Double Oaked Irish Whiskey

I happened upon a bottle of The Whistler Double Oaked Irish Whiskey while at the ABC store, and with a $30 price tag figured I should give it a try. This 80 proof Irish Whiskey is matured in Bourbon barrels, and then transferred to Oloroso Sherry casks for six months additional aging prior to bottling. The total aging time is more than 3 years in total. The aroma was filled with sherry, honeysuckle, black pepper, leather, and a solvent alcohol note. The flavor was sherry, more honeysuckle, leather, low black pepper, and a fruity peach character. The finish turns toward dry with leather and low peach lasting with hints of pepper and sherry long into the aftertaste. The alcohol was notable in the flavor, but never overdone and always working in tandem with the other characteristics of this whiskey. For 30 beans this isn’t a bad glass at all. I don’t particularly want to run out and snag another bottle with that odd solventy note to the aroma, but I am intrigued enough to see if I can find more bottles from Boann Distillery. I like what they are doing with the final aging in Sherry casks, and the price of admission is very good. Try it and let me know what you think.

Tenjaku Blended Whisky

One day I was perusing at the ABC store and came across Tenjaku Blended Whisky at a $40 price point and figured I would give it a whirl. The 40% abv whisky is reported to be blended from all Japanese whisky so it seemed like it should be a great bottle. Unfortunately it didn’t quite seem to be worth the price of admission as it was subdued from start to finish. The aroma was vanilla with cedar and a floral nature coupled to pears with just a touch of pepper. The flavor was similarly restrained with pears, very light peaches, cedar, pepper, and a leather flavor lingering into the aftertaste. Alcohol played a secondary role in the aroma and the flavor, but came forth at the finish and with a notable post consumption warming. While extremely easy to consume due to the lower percentage of alcohol, the complexity was too subdued for a Japanese Whisky in my opinion. This had more in common with an Irish Whisky than a bottle from Japan and most Irish has a lower price point. It’s good, but not mind blowing so buy it if you must, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find a bottle unless you are a fan of Japanese Whisky and have as a goal to get everything you can get your hands on.

Wild Turkey Rye

NCABC decided to put Wild Turkey Rye on sale for 20 beans so I figured why not give it a whirl. I’d heard good things so I figured an 81 proof rye might be just what the doctor ordered. I was all set to have a wonderful rye experience when I brought the glass to my nose and was immediately struck by a huge fruity aromatic. This really was unexpected as rye was what I thought would be most prominent. Instead a nose of mango and papaya was most notable. This was followed by low wafts of alcohol and pepper spice. I thought maybe this was a fluke, but the next time I poured a glass I got the same thing. Even now as the bottle nears completion that’s the main aroma. The flavor was not nearly as fruity, but still had fruit aspects of mango. There was a low peppery rye spice, a light brown sugar, a bit of a corn syrup flavor, and a final impression of low alcohol and sweetness. Finding much rye at all in this was difficult. For me this is a drinkable bottle, but not much of a rye. Unless you like a fruity whiskey you might want to pass on this one.

Knob Creek Rye

Not sure why I haven’t posted about Knob Creek Rye in the past, but I snagged a bottle the last time it went on sale at NCABC. The price of admission at the time was $32, but it can often be found for a few dollars less. This is a 100 proof rye which is an alcohol level I prefer, not too hot, not too mild. The aroma has what you want out of a rye and is filled with rye spice, brown sugar, and light black pepper coupled to a very nice oak presence. The flavor is similar, but contains a syrupy peach not, more rye spice, light pepper, and oak. The finish lasts very nice with peaches and rye fading slowing into the aftertaste. The alcohol is restrained from start to finish with only a mild warming post consumption. This is a very nice rye and should be one to keep in the bar. There are rye whiskeys which are more complex and with a higher price point and those destined for mixing at a lower price point. This one exists right in the middle. If you haven’t had it, pick up a bottle and give it a whirl.