Tastes

One of the most approachable ryes I’ve had to date. If you are trying to introduce someone to the world of rye, this is a great place to start. Nose: Slight ethanol, mint and honey Palate: Watery start that thickens up to a muted rye spice with a fair amount of oak and some mint. Nothing too strong in this one. Finish: The rye spice lingers and the oak becomes more pronounced. Feels like an 80 proof throughout. I always have a bottle of this around for friends who are afraid of rye.

Nose: Malt, vanilla, and citrus. Palate: Thin with a mild rye spice. Dominant notes of vanilla and orange peel. Finish: A quick end with a flare of rye and oak. Not as good as the Breaking and Entering Bourbon. Worth buying for the comparison, but wouldn’t reach for this in any other situation.

Unfortunately drank this one after the Boss Hog V: Spirit of Mauve. As a staunch rye drinker, the Samurai Scientist underwhelms, but makes up for its short comings with a slightly more complex palate. Nose: Apples and cinnamon with subtle herbal notes. Palate: Apples, oak, and more apples. Slight spice that opens up on the tongue and burns off at the back of the throat. Doesn’t travel down to the chest like the V. Lighter hints of vanilla and molasses. Feels like a much lower ABV. Could go through a bottle of this by accident. Finish: The vanilla comes late and stays late. Apples continue and with the cinnamon subsiding. Need to try again, but wouldn’t pay $50+ per pour.

Nose: Peat with a sherry kick and slight orange citrus Palate: Opens up like a bitch, but the spice kicks in after half a second and opens up to a complex world of oak, peat, and vanilla. Approaches the cusp of too much spice and too much peat, but settles down just before it hits the breaking point. A master blend. Finish: Notes of caramel and slight peat. Goes on for days. If you have the chance to buy a bottle, go for it. This is the baseline for high-end Japanese blended whiskey. Probably paid too much for the bottle, but haven’t seen this one in the wild for a very long time. Would buy it again at the same price point.

Nose: candied apples, obvious sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm Palate: intense rye spice that travels from the tip of the tongue down to the chest. Cinnamon coats the mouth with tinge of tobacco. Fruit and spice throughout. One of the best ryes I’ve ever had. Kicks you right in the chest.

Oh baby, baby. A work of art in a bottle. Nose: vanilla and caramel with a hint of oak Palate: thin with a buttery quality towards the back of the tongue. Oaky-sweetness. Oh mama it goes down easy.

Nose: Butterscotch with a slight hint of pecan. Palate: Very watery with some sweetness. Nothing like a bourbon. Same place as the subpar Nikka Coffey Malt. Will need to try again in a different location.

Nose: Hard to tell, very muted aroma. Palate: Spice lingers on the tongue. Decent amount of vanilla, but I didn’t find it as rich as others suggest. I might have had a bad bottle. Will need to try again at a different location.

Nose: Cinnamon with some pecan sprinkled in. Palate: Caramel sweetness that coats the mouth, strong burnt toffee notes. Very rich and malty. Overall a great Texas single malt. The richness might deter some from adding it to their regular stock, but as they say, a strong drink is for strong people.

A standout. Reviewed this a year ago. Since then this has become one of my regular ryes. Getting a bit more expensive as the years go on, but any rye drinker should have at least a few bottles of this.