Clyde May's Straight Rye

Recipe #003 It's been a little bit of time since I had the American whiskey or bourbon, so I'm going into this mostly fresh, but not with great memories. I get conflicting sources saying the minimum age is 3 years and 4 years (incorrect information on the internet, who knew...), so that's not a great start, either. More than anything, it might as well be a cardinal sin if you're not willing to reveal the mashbill of a rye whiskey; by not revealing, I expect a sane use of no less than 95% rye, with the only reason it's not 100% being because you used barely for distilling assistance. The color is so much lighter than the American whiskey or bourbon, so I'm leaning towards the 3 year age statement being correct here. The nose is noticeably spicier than the bourbon, but the same sweet corn scent is still found here in some regard, which is terribly disappointing. Instead of true cinnamon, it's more like a cinnamon roll, with copious amounts of sugar and sweetener added. I can't remember and am too lazy to look it up, but I believe the Clyde May's brand is charcoal filtered; either way, a faint hint of unwelcome charcoal does also exist on the nose. A bright, citrus-forward profile starts off the taste here, with floral notes existing with the mouth closed, and lemon zest coming up when air is introduced. The body is very light, and since 94 proof isn't that low, I'm starting to accept the reality that this is probably a low rye mashbill. To it's credit, a sharp cinnamon spice does hit around the middle of each sip, but instead of penetrating the gums (as expected from either high proof whiskey or a proper rye mashbill), becomes a ball of flavor on the tongue that can be "chewed" on to release additional spice. This is certainly a new experience to me for rye whiskey, and is actually quite enjoyable until a burnt, charcoal finish shows up and really, truly, refuses to leave. The worst part is that a new sip just restarts the cycle back at bright floral and citrus, leaving you with only a fleeting moment in the middle where you can get a proper rye experience. It's not a law and it shouldn't be (because laws on/against alcohol are unpatriotic as fuck), but if distilleries really care about their customers and want to properly expand, they need to release all information, including age statement and, most importantly for a rye whiskey, the mashbill. After all this bashing against this one, I really hope that it is the case where a really low amount of rye is used, because the alternative means that all the ingredients were right, and the distillery got pretty damn close to ruining some perfectly good rye grain.

The nose is sweet and spicy. Vanilla. Cherry. The palate has a big sweet hit up front.

Green apples. A bit of heat. Add a splash of water or small ice cube for a smoother experience.

Mild baking spices and a hint of mint gum. Young sweetened oak. Soft.