Tastes

To say I'm excited about this is such an understatement. I have been looking for this (albeit not with great effort) for a good while, and it's been right around the corner from me this whole time. First thing I'll say is this wins the grand prize for both best and worst packaging. The bottle and attention to detail are both superb, but the gray on black on slate on silver color scheme was an extremely poor choice, considering I can read no more than 50% of the text on any given surface. Still though, I am in desperate need of a scotch that can finally kick my ass with peat, so here's hoping this is that one. I wasn't really sure what to expect with the color, given the array of different barrels used here. From what I expect of scotches that use bourbon barrels, this looks slightly darker than what only 10 years would bring. Oh yes, the peat dominates the scent, although is not overpowering. There's clearly character from the barrel here on the nose as well, but the peat reminder prevails. Given that this is 100 proof, it surprisingly does not burn the nose. The initial flavor is oak, and characteristics of the different barrels used. I get some vanilla, raisin, salt, caramel, and seawater, in that descending order. There are few scotches that are 100 proof or higher, so the burn starts sooner rather than later on this one, as evident by the burrowing into the gums. Peat then takes over (to nobody's surprise) and fills the mouth with the potent moss, but again, it's not overpowering. The finish remains rather hot; the flavor at this point is peat, but it burns like a rye whiskey. This is absolutely an incredible scotch. For an Islay, though, it's not quite what I expect of the region. I think that the different barrel types used took away from the super peat bomb that the distillers were going for. This was not in vain, however, as this has the body of a high caliber blended scotch, but the extra kick of peat to really remind you where Scotland's roots are. There's no question that this is exactly what every bar should have to represent Islay, especially at it's much lower price point than other well-known Islay offerings.

Batch 2F, Bottle 3370, Bottler CAM, at 112.2 proof. MGP has it made. All the fun of distilling some of the greatest American whiskey, no hassle of marketing to deal with. All they have to do is sit back, and young distilleries will beg to take their whiskey and put their name on it. Given this is a cask strength MGP rye, only great things can come of it. Hoping anything that's not rye in the mashbill stays quiet in this bottle. Decent color, probably 4-5 years old. It's expected that MGP stays quiet about the age, but the "aged fully" remake on the bottle is really just a kick in the crotch. Good spice, black pepper, and cinnamon on the nose, followed by a fruit note, perhaps old or tropical fruit, and a bit of sweetness not unlike maple as well. The nose burn is medium, but the reminder that this is rye is there as you pull the glass away. The body is hot as it hits the gums. The initial flavor is rye grain, but almost immediately an explosion of maple and even chocolate burst forward. I thought this would make it sweet, and right as I was ready to be disappointed, I breathed in and the fire was lit. The finish is where the rye comes to burn you, and it burns very, very well. Sure, I can tell that the ethanol is high and also part of the burn, but only rye can penetrate the gums and stay there for minutes after a sip. After a few more sips, I can pick up a similar fruity note that I got from the initial scent, but only if you think fruits in desserts, like bananas foster or apple pie. This is a fine whiskey that features rye. I don't believe that an openly featured "low rye mashbill" should be allowed to be called rye whiskey, but honestly, once past the shocking sweetness phase, only the rye really remains. Cask strength likely makes this even more attractive, as less proof probably equals much higher sweetness. Not a bad thing to pick up, so long as it's still the sourced product in the bottle; I don't know anything about Maryland, but I'd bet a lot of money that they couldn't make anything that would come close to rivaling MGP. Really, I just need an MGP tracker app.

Easily the best Johnnie Walker (at least of the ones that can be found and purchased). Found it for a good price, so now what was once had in a bar when I was already plastered is now a proper addition. Even high aged scotches usually have a lighter color, but this has a lovely caramel color that a good bourbon can have, but the body still retains a lightness that comes with scotch. The scent really is an amalgam of all things typical scotch: butterscotch, grass, honey, salt, and some peat, but this is the lowest note I get. Since the proof is so low, I don't get any hotness from the glass, but this isn't needed for this particular whiskey. Immediately the flavors come forward of oak, mostly vanilla and caramel from presumably bourbon barrels, but some softer, buttery notes are also along here. Very fresh, yet potent butterscotch flavors come next, which is a welcome transition into the earthy, salty flavors that develop after this. The flavor of peat is obvious here, but the actual body and smokiness is absent. The finish is surprisingly hot, at least hotter than I was expecting for a mere 86 proof. Definitely still the best Johnnie Walker out there, and having found out only after purchasing the bottle that this is a blend that doesn't even include their own whiskey, I'm thinking that may be the reason behind the superiority. I could be wrong, and JW could have their own product in this blend, but now that I think of it, I actually don't know which of their products are truly theirs, and which are blends. Blending other distillery's whiskeys never makes any sense to me, but it's got a long history with scotch. In any case, this blend is perfect, and hits flavors found from all regions of Scotland almost perfectly. The peat is quite low, but if you wanted a scotch and didn't have a regional preference, this would be my recommendation every time.

I always thought this and the single barrel bourbon version had the barrel info on the bottle, but I guess I was mistaken. That's certainly a bit of a let-down, but I'm still excited and have been for many years to finally try this, since everything Wild Turkey puts out is fantastic (minus the celebrity failure that unfortunately has their name on it). Vanilla, and lots of it, is the main scent here. It almost smells like a birthday cake, but it's source, the super charred oak, is enough to shake the hallucination. Only after remembering that this is a rye whiskey was I actually able to detect the rye grain on the very end of the nose; you could easily trick me into thinking this was a heavily aged 101 bourbon. My palate immediately could tell this was a rye, because the spice quickly sinks into the gums, and burns any cuts found on the roof of the mouth with the iconic, bright spice. Similar to the smell, however, there is a decent sweetness here, coming from the barrel but also being mellowed by the oak at the same time. There is a boring finish of more of the same, until you add air. One breath in causes an explosion of mint and fresh rye grain to rocket out like fire, with all the spiciness that I would expect from proper rye. The finish is plenty hot, but from flavor and not so much the proof, with the oak sweetness from before adding a good balance. I was most excited about this pick from my recent haul, and for good reason. Wild Turkey always produces quality, and with what few of their single barrel products that I've had, I can still say that they are just as vulnerable to bad barrel picks as anyone else, because they've not always been good. However, even with their bourbon, Wild Turkey clearly knows how to use rye, and make it into a good whiskey or high-rye bourbon. Put that into an elevated product line like Russell's and pick out a good barrel like this one, and it's an easy winner every time for a more potent, special rye experience. The only improvement that I think can be made is the addition of barrel information on the bottle. Without it, I'm less likely to buy this product again, because I can't tell if I've had that barrel before or not. Plus, with the growing number of online documentation and reviewing of individual barrels, it would also be possible to compare and contrast different barrel flavors. This risks people ruining the product line by finding an exceptional barrel and then scalping the price (as so many single barrel whiskeys are subject to), but then again, what is whiskey if not annoying a majority of the time?

I like how this is marked as rare on here, and yet I've seen it in almost every store in the Midwest for just about the same price. I've had this brand's flagship bourbon, and it was fairly good, right on the cusp of being something really special. I am expecting similar things out of this, but with far fewer rye whiskeys out there to compare to, I do have some higher expectations (for really no reason at all). Starting off strong with a 5 year age statement, and hoping that the rye shines strong since 90 proof isn't a whole lot to bring to the table. Medium-dark color, impressive and inviting. Honestly and truly, it's mostly just rye, as a grain, that is on the nose. Getting past this, there are some typical notes from a moderately charred barrel, but so far this is a simple offering that should be exciting, given how few rye whiskeys truly honor the grain. A few more sniffs bring out very faint essences of tropical fruit and bread. The flavor is just as "normal" as the smell was, with rye grain up front, both spicy yet somewhat mellow, and just a touch too much malt right behind it (which is strange, given there is nothing but rye on the mash bill). There is oak after the grain, but this is younger or less charred than I thought it would be from the scent, and doesn't give as much of the vanilla and caramel that would benefit this whiskey after spending 5 years in those barrels. The finish is what every rye whiskey should be: a mouth full of cinnamon and tingling gums. This could have been elevated so much more if the proof were higher, but I'll submit to say that this is indeed more approachable for a flagship product. This is a great honor to the rye crop, and a really good alternative to the other approachable, middle shelf competitors that you find in most stores. It does make me want to taste any older ryes this brand may have, but only if they are priced for consuming. I don't remember what I paid for this, but like most craft whiskeys, it was probably overpriced for what it is. Get this priced like Wild Turkey Rye or Bulleit Rye and I'd choose this every time (almost).

Barrel #19E764 Having not only had Michter's rye before, but also remembering them as a staple for rye whiskey, I was sorely shocked to find out that it's only a measly 84 proof, and also filtered somewhat secretly. I really want to be unbiased while tasting, but tactics that prolong the barrel like that come off very money focused... Hopefully Michter's isn't turning into the Buffalo Trace of rye whiskey. With a weak proof and no age statement, I'm super surprised at what a deep color this is. I'd guess #4 char barrels are in use, given the color and the scent of heavy, wet, charred oak. This develops further into vanilla and caramel, which is very standard, but it pairs nicely with the earthy, spicy scent that's also present. Rye is the obvious spice, but I also get black pepper and clove, and the earthiness smell is like wet dirt, similar to milder peated scotches. Wet earth comes back for the initial flavor, and gives way to cinnamon and rye spice. The body, as expected, is very weak, but to it's credit, does allow for more fine tuned flavor gathering. The issue is that these flavors aren't super hot spices, mint, grass, or other strong iconic notes that a good rye whiskey should be. The finish is a mixture of the above, with emphasis on mushroom, mold, and cinnamon candy. I'm usually not so specific with my tastings, but since this is such an unusual bottle/barrel/whiskey, it's easy to pick out these new flavors. There's really so much about this brand that is a turn off, mostly with the lack of given information for the products. Not sure why distilleries want to hide their methods, but it appears it doesn't matter, because Michter's has such a cult following that even this simple, unamusing rye is known to be "rare" and hard to find, with jacked up prices reflecting this. Maybe it's a bad barrel, but there's no hiding shady business. I feel the plan is to hook people on the overpriced flagship products so the 25 year or actual rare whiskeys can be sold for hundreds of dollars and nobody would bat an eye. Buying/collecting whiskey is already so much of a headache, so I'd rather avoid anything that clearly is contributing to that.