High West Double Rye

Agree with others who say this was better a few years ago. The recent bottling tastes very grassy. The older version was more similar to the current Rendezvous Rye. This isn't bad, but it's just not what it used to be.

Rating: 15/23 N: Vanilla, apricot flower, lightly varnished wood, some dark rye bread, light minerals, faint malty sweetness - but I think it's malted rye. P: It's light but not overly full of minerals and it has a clean, pure ryeness to it. Also vanilla. There's slight oiliness, dusty dirt, and a floral character like the desert flowers a cowboy would find riding though the southwest. Some minerals are hare and I get herbal and vegetal notes balanced by a tartness and dryness demonstrating that the rye is really here. I also get a bit of woody maltiness. And then there are light orange peel and lemon flavors. My overall impression is that this is somewhere between Whistlepig Piggyback and Woodinville Rye in profile. F: Vanilla, desert flowers, faint lemon, slight minerality (though not the type that makes the palate seem really light). A bit of lingering spiciness. - Conclusion - This is a totally reasonable substitute for Whistlepig PiggyBack (16/23), especially considering the price difference between them. That said, the price difference is not so great that I'd choose this over waiting to find the Whistlepig slightly on sale. That's in comparison with a fairly well oxygenated Whistlepig, Compared against a fresh bottle, this holds its own quite well. The Whistlepig is much spicier and earthier and less complex. This has more vanilla and delicate floral notes. On the other side, this is a clear win over Wild Turkey 101 Rye (12/23). Woodinville Rye (16/23) is fuller, but less balanced. This might be slightly cloying with its sweetness though. Reading more about this, I see that it's almost entirely made up of rye and malted rye. That certainly explains how it combines elements of PiggyBack and Woodinville. I was looking at a 14 to 16, but now I'm thinking 15 or 16. I was very borderline here for a while, but after much deliberation, I'd say that this just barely earns that 16. Actually, the lightness on that final sip brings me back down to a 15. I like this a lot, but it is just a bit too light. Thanks @ctbeck11 for sharing this one. It's a fun rye and a good value. I'm pleased that High West hasn't let the quality slip here.

Too bitter, albeit a decent sweetness.

Perfectly fine but perhaps not enough depth to be great

Nose: Rye. Like literally walking up to a loaf of rye bread and sticking it in my face. Also maybe some dill. Palate is the same with maybe some hints of anise and lemon.