Blue Run Kentucky Straight Emerald Rye

So my buddy who works for Coors comes through again. They’re getting into the whisky-making game now, and he first shipped me a bottle of Five Trail, which was decent if the SRP was $30 instead of $55. Then they acquired Blue Run and he sent me a bottle of their High-Rye Bourbon, which I think would be decent if the SRP was $55 instead of $100, and a few weeks ago, he sent me a text asking “What’s our next bottle” so I looked at the Blue Run list and selected this. I’m going to say this so you understand that I’m appreciative: my friend is the f#$king MAN! I feel bad, to an extent, reviewing these, as you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having these bottles around, but, um, yeah, the Emerald Rye is similar to the High-Rye Bourbon in that if it were priced at $55 it would be competitive. I’d still favor New Riff single barrel picks and Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye. Alberta Premium at $70 is better. Single Barrel Knob Creek Rye at $70 is still better, and I haven’t tried Pikesville but I’m guessing from everything I’ve heard that it’s better. So I guess I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth here, not necessarily based on quality: I can drink this and enjoy it. But based on the fact that my buddy is interested in my opinion and quite frankly, I give it frankly on FaceTime calls where he has a bottle of this and I have a bottle of this, and we compare notes. Given he works for Coors, he’s a little more forgiving. There’s that old Upton Sinclair quote I like in that respect: “It’s difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on not understanding it.” Not that I think my friend is disingenuous in putting a positive spin no this bottle. He, in fact, had three bottles in front of him when we did our tasting, two at my request and one at his choosing. First, we opened this Blue Run Emerald Rye. I told him I was almost entirely sure it was the exact same recipe as the Blue Run High Rye Bourbon. My suspicion is that the Rye was a high corn rye, but I didn’t have any left to sample. He still has some pours, so he plucked it out of his cabinet. And he tasted them both and declared the Emerald Rye superior in its roundedness and intensity. Then he poured himself a glass of New Riff Single Barrel Rye and declared that his favorite (remember the Blue Run bottles are both upward of $100 and the New Riff is $55). So for my tasting (and that’s three paragraphs beginning “so”), I’ll fully admit I’ve been recovering from a cold and while my sense of smell isn’t entirely gone (don’t think it’s COVID), that sense is definitely impaired. Thus the nose begins hot, like burning hot. I opened the Sagamore 8 Year Rye at Thanksgiving and it’s 115 proof and drinks like it’s 90. This is 115 proof and drinks like it’s 130. If you don’t air it, it’s going to take off some of your nose hair and maybe the first layer of dermis below your nose. It’s not terribly complex but not bad either, rye spice and mint mingle with a sweetness I can really only describe at this point as “candied.” Kind of like the High Rye Bourbon, there’s a candy cane aroma to the nose. As mentioned, with my sense of smell slightly impaired, it’s going to impair the taste, but again, it’s on the sweet side of sweet rye. More Sazerac than Overholt. It’s sweet with a bit of spice, and I prefer my ryes on the spicy side. The palate introduces cola and vanilla to the candy and mint on the nose, and the finish is mid-length, neither long nor short, and I’d like to say, like Goldilocks, just right, but I prefer my finishes long. It’s hot all the way through, and in the end, my friend posited that the appeal here is the limit in batch run (they label their bottles with a number out of a number, you know?) and the bragging rights that might come when you acquire it. Bragging rights for limited numbers is for amateurs, however. All I care about it drinking some good juice. And this is acceptable juice that I’d have trouble calling good when I know how much it costs. Best of luck, Coors. I, for one, am grateful for a free supply but am unlikely ever to purchase at these prices unless you can do something to REALLY improve the quality. So I’ll close with a quote from Frederic Nietzsche: “Woe unto those who stare a gift horse in the mouth, for if you stare a gift horse in the mouth too long, the gift horse stares back.” Or something like that.

Better without water in my opinion. It’s a bit warm but ice takes away from the flavor profile

Strong floral nose and spicy rye. First sip is like it says bold and strong. With a cube it opens up a lot better. But continue with the herbal and grain spice finish.