Tastes

It’s December 16, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (3/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10, Whistlepig 12) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like accidentally using the pour side of the crushed red pepper instead of the shake side but then eating your rotini anyway. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< Three fun facts about this whiskey that I did not know prior to tonight: 1) I knew that Hotel Tango is veteran-owned, but did you know that it is the first combat-disabled-veteran-owned distillery in America? I did not! 2) This distillery is all about being “ready”. For instance, this bottle says “Rye, Ready to Drink”, which erroneously led some people in my life to think that this was one of those cocktails in a bottle. It is not. What I did not know before tonight was that on the back, this bottle describes itself as “Sazerac Ready.” Being a whiskey snob and NOT being very knowledgeable about cocktails, this erroneously led me to believe there was some bizarre connection between this juice and Buffalo Trace, or at least Sazerac Company. But no, pretty sure they just meant you could pour this whiskey in a cocktail if you wanted. 3) When researching fun fact 2, I went to their website. My volume was turned all the way up apparently, and I was not prepared for the bugle sound effect that nearly made me wet me self. It appears to only happen when you confirm that you’re over 21, like a celebratory thing. Nice touch! The nose is dill, maple. Leather. Oaky too. Smells like it’ll be an intense rye. Astringent. Body is tangerine, sugar, chocolate. This is actually lovely. That tangerine flavor is done perfectly. I mean the whole tangerine, rind and all. Finish is jalapeño. There’s a vegetable aftertaste that, when paired with a spicy mouth feel, leads you directly there. It’s jalapeño. Neat! I actually really like this. I shouldn’t be surprised, because HT consistently puts out solid stuff, but that nose had me concerned. I think the youth on that nose is overcome by their mixing expertise, delivering a solid, unique rye. I’m not quite ready to declare this as a forever shelfer. I think if they had a slightly older product (read: improved nose) or a good barrel finish (which they’ve proven they can do well) I’d be there. As it is, I’m calling this good but not great. Definitely would recommend to buy however, as I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

It’s December 15, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (3/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10, Whistlepig 12) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like the moment you realize that your new career may require the occasional Eigen decomposition. Pretty sure I made a promise to Gandalf that I’d never do one of those again. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< And now the moment I’ve all been waiting for: this final little piggy in my piglet pack. But first, a word from my sponsor: basic math. This little piggy pack cost me $20. It had 3 50mL bottles: this 15 year, the 12, and the 10. If I were to buy the full bottle, the retail in my area for tonight’s whiskey alone is $389. 750mL = 50mL x 15 $20 x 15 = $300 If I were able to buy 15 of these piglet packs, I would get the equivalent of the full 750 mL bottle, save $89, and get a “free” full bottle equivalent of the 10 and the 12. Not to mention enough mini Whistlepig bottles to make an adorable whiskey-themed checkers game… which… typing that just now made me realize I have to make someday. Guys… this little piggy pack (up to scale) would save you over $250 compared to buying the bottles individually. That… doesn’t make sense. And all this math and board game planning has made me thirsty. Nose has pears, apple, sugar, flowers. Possibly the $10 bouquet this time. I think there’s some baby’s breath in there. Seriously though: this smells phenomenal. Body is more of the pear and apple. I can see citrus. It’s juicy. They did these fruity notes to perfection. There’s also chocolate, but the fruity notes are center stage. Finish brings a mild black pepper, but it’s still sweeter than it is spicy. There’s also a mild dust. The flavors on the body don’t go anywhere on this finish, and they build up and become the dominant notes as you go back for more. I could also see watermelon here. This is brilliant. Is it worth $389? I’m honestly not sure. I’ve made worse decisions. I don’t think so, but I think I’d pay $200 without blinking. At $389, I’m not going to count this as a permanent shelf member. Nonetheless, so far it’s the best new whiskey I’ve tried this December. Irrespective of your feelings on the full bottle’s price, the value you get from this piglet pack is insane. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It’s a $20 experience you deserve. Treat yourself.

It’s December 14, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (3/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10, Whistlepig 12) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like homemade turkey gravy made from scratch, right after you help make homemade turkey gravy made from scratch. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< Nose is a frequency peed upon but rarely washed diaper changing mat. Also sugar, banana, praline, dust. Tastes Woodfordy or Jackish. Body has cedar, banana, earth, dust. It’s okay, but not great. Finish is short and gentle. Nothing much here, but I could get behind mild cinnamon. This tastes young and unimpressive. It’s the best example of “meh” I’ve tasted in some time. I won’t buy it again, and so far it is the weakest Whistlepig product I’ve had by a large margin.

It’s December 13, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (3/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10, Whistlepig 12) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like your least favorite coworker announcing in front of everyone that their getting you a Christmas present. And it’s expensive. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< This is the “Bespoke Blend”, which from what I understand is not exclusive to my store despite the “Bottled Exclusively for:” sticker. Here’s the breakdown: 75% Madeira 10% Sauternes 15% Port Nose is indistinguishable from standard so I’m literally going to copy/paste. Nose has oak, sour lemon, perfume. Powdered sugar. Apple. This is a great nose, albeit a bit astringent. That astringency is a result of the finishing process, not the base juice. Body is much juicer than standard. There’s gummy bears, grapes, raisin. Dust. Lemon is still there, but the increase in Madeira has somehow turned this little guy toward the overly sweet category, and it’s honestly worse for it. Less well balanced. Think Jefferson’s Reserve. Finish is… almondier? Lemon is still there, but any savory notes from the original have been overshadowed. Less hot, but sickeningly sweet. I’m extremely disappointed. There’s no other way to analyze this: this “store pick” (from a store that typically produces very good picks) costs more money and is a downgrade. It’s interesting to see how different my new piggy friends can make this with a 10% change across three categories, but it’s not something I would ever buy again knowing that the 12 is out there and comparatively perfect. I’m going to assume that Whistlepig has more or less perfected the finishing process for their standard issue, and these variations are likely to fall short.

It’s December 12, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (2/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like my kids teacher’s passive aggressive group email about how “some parents” are still not sending their kids with winter coats when it’s 53 degrees outside. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< Here’s piglet #2. Still amazing. I will likely refill these just for fun. Guys, they even have fully functional miniature corks. Best mini bottle I’ve seen since Blanton’s 50 mLs. Much like how I did not realize these were Canadian, I did not realize this whiskey was barrel finished. Here’s the breakdown: 63% Madeira 30% Sauternes 07% Port I haven’t had very many Madeira finishes, but I tend to not care for Sauternes. Port I like, but at 7%, I don’t expect to find too much influence here. Nose has oak, sour lemon, perfume. Powdered sugar. Apple. This is a great nose, albeit a bit astringent. That astringency is a result of the finishing process, not the base juice. Body is roses, sugar. Vanilla. Pit fruits. Cherry. Grape. Sangria. The lemon carries though. This is delicious. Finish is almonds, mild baking spices. Mild brine, but still sweet. Peanut brittle if I really hunt. Weakest part of the dram, but still good. I think Whistlepig are my people. This is excellent juice with an excellent finish. This will be a new permanent shelf member, and I feel even more strongly about that than I do the 10 year.

It’s December 11, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (2/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes worse than WTMK 17 BiB. The blue box. Sorry WT, y’all should be ashamed. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< This rye is a blend of 9-11 year old ryes. 11. It counts. Nose is fantastic. Not a lot going on, but it’s delicious. Sugar, caramel, sour apple. Rose petals? I could sniff this all day. I’m fact reckon I will. See y’all tomorrow. Edit: Just kidding. Body is absurdly smooth. If you’ve ever had one of those that you can let roll off down the back of your tongue, enjoying every note, this is like that. The notes from the nose come in full swing on the body. I can get the apple, the sugar. Caramel is less prevalent, but there’s definitely a milk chocolate note. Perfect. Finish is also surprisingly gentle. It buzzes the lips for sure, but the flavors are low in heat. Mild cinnamon. Mild rye. That juicy apple mouth feel is lingering on. Golden delicious. That rose note comes back as a mild mint. Love it. This is phenomenal. WTMK has had some duds. Looking at you blue. But this is perfection. I genuinely can’t find fault with it. I could say it lacks complexity, and that would be true. But when you do anything this well, I don’t need a dozen different notes. I’m enjoying the ones I have. Unfortunately, I don’t think this qualifies as “readily available,” so I’ll have to sip slowly on this little guy.

It’s December 10, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (1/5, WT101) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like season 24 just ended and you forgot to claim Haedrig's Gift. Woof. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< First off, let me say that whoever came up with the piglet pack is a genius and my new best friend. I don’t care if they’re not in the market. These little piggies went home. With me. They are adorable. The nose is banana bread, mild cedar, salt, sticky rice, potpourri. Body hits with one of the juiciest mouthfeels I can remember across all my drams so far. I get gummy bears, grapes, raisin, strawberry jam. This tastes like a refined version of Jefferson’s Reserve, and I’m a big fan. Finish is cinnamon, grape, almond, brine. I love this whiskey. It’s so juicy, it’s almost hard for me to believe that it’s not barrel finished. While Jefferson’s products often come across as sickeningly sweet, I think the rye balances those sweet notes nicely. It reminds me a lot of the Jefferson’s rum finish. If you were going for those types of notes, this is just a better way to do it. I think I’ve found my second shelf member. Edit: I have been drinking Piggyback for years. I love this. I JUST NOW learned they source from Canada. I… I’m going to go find some crow to eat.

It’s December 9, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (1/5, WT101) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like that stuff that oozed out of Frodo’s mouth when Shelob paralyzed him. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< Disclaimer: I do not like Canadian whiskey. The only times I do are when it tastes like bourbon. I’m not expecting much for me here. However, my favorite whiskey remains the one I haven’t tried yet, so big thanks to @Cornmuse the recommendation! Nose is butterscotch, peanut brittle, citrus. Yeast. Beer? It smells a bit artificial, like a flavor-added product, but the notes are still interesting. Body: to quote Distiller’s expert review of Blanton’s gold: “Woody Woodpecker would kill for this much wood so keep your eyes peeled for that feathered fowl.” I will never forget that. Also applicable here. Wood note is intense. I have trouble getting past it. It’s raw cedar. Finish is grass, cinnamon, cough syrup, licorice, malt balls. I don’t think this is for me. However: this is still substantially better than that VOSN 7 year abomination (not to mention substantially cheaper), and I think my objections to the flavors fit within the bounds of my objection to 95% of the Canadian whiskey I’ve tried, which is necessarily subjective. I’m going to go out on a limb and wager that the appreciation for this whiskey correlates less with the appreciation of rye whiskey than it does the appreciation of Canadian whiskey, and I’m starting out with a pretty big disadvantage on that front. Edit: on ice, my appreciation raised this a quarter star. That woody body is toned down, and I actually get a red apple note. I will have to investigate this further in other ways.

It’s December 8, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (1/5, WT101) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like the evil green stuff in Rasputin’s lantern. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< I don’t get these people. Some of their stuff is so good, and some of it is unethical to sell above $30. And the price difference between the former and later may be about $20 in a fleet of products that are already severely overpriced. I’m less pissed that my 7 year rye cost what it did and more pissed that I could have shelled out just $20 more for a VOSN 12. But no, I wanted to deep dive and see everything this rebooted product line has to offer. Mistake. Don’t do that. Grab the 12 and run. This bottle has the same buzz words associated with the VOSN products I like: “Ancient Cask.” I’ve been disappointed by ancient cask products before (from a cost perspective) but never like that maple rye abomination I had yesterday. So I’m cautiously optimistic. VOSN 8 Year Rye Whiskey Ancient Cask Lot#: 10 Age: 8 years ABV: 41.4% Origin: Canada Crafted: Artisan-ly Fingers: Crossed Nose is a 100% improvement. Thank you evil Santa for not boning me twice upon a December. I get apple, sugar, spearmint, lemon, caramel. Smells like a fantastic bourbon in the BT mashbill 2 spectrum. Body has a chalky mouthfeel. That’s new. Definitely chalky. The flavor diversity is completely gone now. It’s syrupy sweet, like simple syrup, and there’s not much flavor accompanying it. If I had to pick a few flavors, I’d go with syrup, caramel, and sugar. (Edit: drink enough, and you can pick out the apple again. Vanilla too. But it takes some dedication. Not immediately available.) Mint returns on the finish in a nice way. It’s one of the better balances of a mint note that I can remember. There is also a dill note, and some salt. This is the only place where I detect “rye” in a way I can understand. Mild baking spice at the very end, but this drink is gentle and very sweet overall. I understand how this whiskey is related to their other Canadian stuff. The same potential for disaster is there, but the notes are finally (and for the first time) balanced well. Their Canadian ones really are connected somehow on a deeper level than just “Canada.” If you want to taste what that Canadian recipe tastes like in its best form (and I truly don’t know why you would) this is the one to get. Skip RP14, RP15, and that 7 year abomination. Even with that comparative praise, this bottle is overpriced, over sweetened, and interesting only as a sniffer. Personally I prefer drinking my whiskey too. Never again. A pox upon all the Canadian VOSN products.

It’s December 7, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your worst. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (1/5, WT101) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like you just remembered tragic memories from your past because your joy is wearing off. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< My favorite part about visiting Preservation Distillery was poking at the staff with regard to the rumors running around their whiskies. That and getting called by the front desk about your tasting that is about to start while you’re sitting 4 feet away finishing up the previous tasting. Whoops. Nose is reminiscent of Rare Perfection. Please don’t do this to me again Marcy. It’s a choose your own adventure dram. If you want to like it, you better start with campfire notes. Marshmallow, vanilla, coals, crackling wood. If you don’t want to take your joy, it smells like eraser shavings, rubber, nail polish remover, and something that would probably clean your shower very well. Damnit. Body is faithful to the nose. If you can get the happy notes, the vanilla is strong. I guess I could see maple, but vanilla is far more accurate. Sugar content is turned up to 11, so marshmallow works. Some sort of white chocolate coated marshmallow. If you want to walk the dark side with me, it tastes like someone tampered with your glass. This body might as well be a vanilla liqueur. It just tastes vanilla and unhappy. Can vanilla curdle? Finish - screw this. I’m done. I don’t want to play anymore. This is terrible. Don’t even do this to enemies of your friends.