Tastes

Good quality rye at a good price. Starts off with an enjoyable nose; taste brings lots of nice oaky barrel influence with a hot spicy kick and light bitterness coming in near the finish. I have only drank this neat as usual and it didn't make my favorite rye sippin' list. But its solid and everyone into rye should give it a try.

Hmmm possibly a nice 100 proof sipper right at the $30 mark? Count me in for trying this! I've had this bottle open over a couple weeks and I like it. I nice solid bourbon at the price, I think it is priced right. Medium viscosity, full flavor, and decent complexity. This isn't awesome, but it's enjoyable and I would get again.

Well I have been passing by this bottle at my liquor store quite a few times just thinking it was probably just like Dickel 12, but with a blue label and BIB. WELL I was very surprised to find out this is aged 13yrs. Rich and deep flavors with dominate older oak, this one tastes like it has the extra age. Nice medium mouthfeel and just very satisfying to sip neat. Of course this has the trademark vitamin taste, but I think it tastes less like Flintstones, and just a general vitamin taste here. I find this vitamin taste more in the background verses #12 and its fine with me. I bought this bottle for $40 and its well worth it.

***Be Careful there are 1 Yr old bottles of this on the shelves!*** My first bottle turned out to be aged stated on the back 1 Yr and wasn't good; it had a lot of young sharp heat. When I finally found another one that said aged 2 Yrs on the back label I decided to give it a second chance. I am glad to say the 2+ yr is much better and I am enjoying it. I am guessing they use wood staves to give this 95% MGP a lot of woodiness and set it apart from all the others. I taste good peach woodiness and nice amount of sweetness. It has a little extra heat, but I still enjoy sipping it neat. I may like this better than Bulliet. Redemption (and MGP of course) did a good job on this 2 Yr Rye - But make sure it is age stated 2 Yrs!

I stumbled onto this gem while out of town. Wild Turkey's own distilled 101 Straight Rye. I have never tried the 81, but let me just say this 101 is fantastic! It is great to sip neat and Very Flavorful. I added a bit of water a couple times to try it, and the water softens the heat just a tad, and smooths it out some, and it is enjoyable this way as well. Pepper, charcoal, good bit of oak, and rye, some tartness, and a little bitter all wrapped up in a good amount of sweetness (but not too much), make a perfect combination. Wild Turkey knocked it out of the park with this one. I really enjoy this and always pick up a bottle or two when I go out of town now. This is one of my favorite Ryes. 1 Liter for $39 = Good value.

***ATTN. No longer aged up to 16yrs, but currently listed as 4 to 7 yrs on H.W. website!*** Dbl Rye in comparison is aged 2 to 7 yrs. What a letdown... I'm a fan of the HW Double Rye and at $40 it's a good value as well, so I was looking forward to trying this "better" bottle of rye from High West, still thinking it had older whiskey in it. This bottle has changed over the month I've had it open. After a week it tasted refined, mellow, lower heat with nice oak making just enough presence. I kept waiting for it to improve and wow me; but now after 3 to 4 weeks open (and 3/4 empty) it has taken on more heat and an over the top oak bitterness that wasn't there before that I do not enjoy - really went downhill. In summary I enjoy more exciting flavorful whiskeys than this - Pikesville is a great example at $10 less. I also enjoy the HW Double Rye more. This was refined and balanced for the first two weeks and an easy sipper (but underwhelming), so if this appeals to you just plan to finish your bottle before 3 weeks. Too much oxidation is Not kind to this one. I wont be getting another bottle.

110 Proof Pikesville Straight Rye. This Bad Boy of Rye is flavor busting, but with a very unique deep rich flavor profile, different than anything I have tasted before. The nose and taste of this reminds me of pecan shortbread cookies my wife makes for Christmas, that she dips half of each cookie in dark chocolate. Needless to say the nose is wonderful. The flavors are bursting with the bakery spices, chocolate, a good nuttiness, and shortbread cookies. This is a great flavor bomb and very unique too boot. The heat level is a little hot, but doesn't get in the way. Perfect sipper neat in a glencairn. I like Rittenhouse, but this Pikesville takes it off the charts. Great whiskey that I can get for mid 50's, and I'll say its worth it. I will get this again for a nice change and let me remind you - This Is Not A Normal Rye! Which is a good thing in this case! Recommended *This is now my top favorite rye.*

Knob Creek Rye is a tough bold full flavor 100 Proof bruiser of a whiskey. So much FLAVOR packed into each sip - an excellent value at the $30 I usually see it at! NOT boring at all, has good complexity, strong flavors starting mid palate, and a nice medium viscosity. Starts off lightly sweet and soft, then the flavors build to a STRONG flavorful finish with the Knob Creek charcoal and building warmth. I also pick up a slight Jim Beam nuttiness which I dig. Good Whiskey at a great price, it has plenty of tasty flavor and excitement. If you are into Rye pick up a bottle already!