Tastes

Nose: At first this one seems pretty simple and sweet, but the more you sit with it, the more comes out. Sweet vanilla, red cherry, and creme brulee are front and center. Deeper in is smoky barrel char, clove, lemon zest, golden raisins, prune, and lemongrass. Palate: In general, it is much darker than the nose with a medium viscosity. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, and dry vanilla slowly turns into a soft malty rye spice accented with sweet spicy chili and more smoky barrel char. Finish: Warm, but fairly short. Dark chocolate, vanilla, and barrel char. Summary: Chattanooga continues to impress with unique bottlings with affordable prices. Their specialty in malting is always on display and for good reason. They've carved a niche in the market for themselves that is nearly impossible these days. I strongly urge anyone to look into them and see the great experiments they release more often than you would assume.

Nose: Everything you expect from the classic MGP 95/5, but deeper and richer. Heavily toasted marshmallow, butterscotch, dark rye spice, toasty rye bread, spearmint, dill, orange peel, clove, and a hint of grapefruit. Palate: Oily and mouth coating. Burnt marshmallow, rich oak, caramel, heavy dark rye spice with a moderate punch. Orange zest, spearmint, and black pepper. Finish: Lingering, warm, and tingly. Soft tannins and rich rye spice with a touch of butterscotch sweetness. Summary: There aren't many Ryes on the market with this high of an age and none of them are this affordable. I know it's easy to say it's just another MGP Rye, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice not picking one up if you see it around MSRP.

Nose: Rich wildflower honey, caramel dipped apples, and toasted oak are most apparent. Some nice floral notes mingle with some dry grassy ones and a little rye spice underneath. Palate: Oily viscosity. Slightly sticky. Sweet honey and brown sugar covered cheerios. Candied almonds and pecans. Warm rye spice and toasted oak are also present. Finish: Medium length consisting mostly of toasted oak, caramel, and rye spice. Summary: I'm a huge fan of anyone having out of the box ideas. This is great one that really showcases how something can be sweet, spicy, and dry, all at the same time. Great balance and pretty dynamic at a solid price.

Nose: It's like a candy bar that isn't overly sweet. Vanilla, nougat, caramel, honey roasted peanuts, and a little walnut. Beyond that is seasoned oak, cinnamon, and clove. Palate: Medium low viscosity. A nice balance of sweet with a little spicy. Caramel, vanilla, and honey roasted peanuts with a bit of black pepper, soft tannic oak, and clove. Finish: Fairly short with mostly soft oak tannins and clove. Summary: As someone who doesn't like candy sweet bourbon, this one is right up my alley. Especially for summer. Cheap, easy to drink, but has enough going on to keep it interesting. If you're looking for a new daily driver and haven't given this a try for some reason, you won't be disappointed.

Nose: Maple syrup , oregano, thyme, and caraway seeds balance against dark fruitiness of prune and fig. Mild rye spice and white pepper sit neatly underneath. Palate: More viscous than you'd expect at 90 Proof. Big hits of prune and maple. Mild peppery rye punch with thyme, oregano, clove, and a hint of menthol. Finish: Medium length and warm. Soft tannins, sweet maple, and unexpected dill. Summary: An excellent maple finish that doesn't dominate the sip. Not overly complex, but for those who love a sweeter fruitier Rye.

Nose: Right off the bat, it lives up to the name. Deep and dark. Heavy rye spice that feels mature. It doesn't need to punch like most Ryes do, it's mere presence grabs attention. Lots of spearmint. Some rich oak and molasses. Heavily toasted dark rye bread where the edges are a little burnt. Palate: Pretty oily viscosity. Rolls around and sticks to each surface of the mouth without being cloying. An immediate pop of dark brown sugar and barrel char is followed by a rush of heavy rye spice, spearmint, and savory dried herbs. As the sip calms down the rich oak returns with cocoa. Finish: Satisfying and lingering. Oak, barrel char, spearmint, and semi-sweet chocolate. Summary: I feel like I just wrote a love song. This is a Rye lovers dream. Has all the best parts of the category with none of the faults. Truly worth every penny of it's approachable price. Exceptional

Nose: The Bourbon barrels make their presence immediately known as sweet vanilla and caramel push against a bouquet of oregano, thyme, and tarragon with a sprig of mint. Neither side really dominating the other. Focusing deeper reveals some peach and plum fruitiness. Palate: Medium viscosity with a slight alcohol bite. Caramel initially washing over the palate, but is quickly disposed of by a healthy punch full of rye spice. The complexities of the nose are a bit lost on the palate, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. Finish: Fairly long. Sweet and spicy, but also a bit drying. Summary: This one was pretty hot on first crack, but after a few drams and a few weeks, it has settled down quite nicely. Being exclusively aged in used oak, I was expecting it to be much more grainy. I was happily surprised with a well developed and fairly unique dram. Another good bottle for those wanting something a little different and challenging.

Nose: Toasty rye bread full of herbs and spices. Thyme, oregano, clove, and a dusting of cracked black pepper. Vanilla, dark honey, tart green apple, and lemon zest sit deeper in creating a lovely sweet and savory complexity. Palate: Soft with medium viscosity. A decent rye punch despite being a barely legal Rye. Vanilla, caramel, and clove wash over the palate followed by Rye spice, oak, and small dose of barrel char and lemongrass. Finish: Longer than anticipated with honey sweetness, soft oak tannins, and clove. Summary: On first taste during a blind, I wasn't super impressed with this, but now that I've gotten to sit down and know it better, I'm a big fan. Beautiful summertime Rye. Sweet and soft but won't let you forget it's a Rye. An absolute steal at $35-40.

Batch: Blend of 36% 7 Year Kentucky Bourbon (70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley) and 64% 5 Year Pennsylvania Bourbon (53% Corn, 23% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley, 6% Oats, 6% Rye) Nose: Lots of buttery dark brown sugar. Cola, root beer, and milk chocolate follow with hints of cinnamon and sweet chiles underneath. Palate: Sweet, but also roasty, with dark caramel, brown sugar, aged oak, and more of a dark chocolate this time. Good viscosity. The chiles are a little more forward than the nose and offer a nice tingly spice against the sweetness. The cola and root beer notes are still here but have taken a back seat as nice accents. Finish: Starts off sweet and roasty. The sweetness fades fairly quickly and leaves you with the satisfying lingering roastiness along with a touch of spice. Summary: There's a saying about Pennsylvania that it is Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Kentucky in between. It's fun to see someone taking that and turning it into a great Bourbon. One of my favorite pours so far this year. The blend feels very well balanced while also being efficiently priced. If you find yourself near Harrisburg, stop by and give this one a taste.

Nose: Brown butter, dusty sweet corn, light caramel, caraway seed, touch of heather, mint, and golden apple Palate: Mouthfeel is oily and silky. The dusty sweet corn and light caramel are front and center wrapped in cayenne pepper. Slight alcohol bite. As the alcohol tones down, the caraway seed, heather, and apple return. Finish: Medium length with the dusty sweet corn again and the floral herbaceousness of the heather. Summary: Very consistent through the stages of the sip. A little off the beaten track, but if you like corn whiskey and the more floral/herbaceous ryes, you'll probably love this one. It does a great job balancing the whiskey and finishing cask.