High West Double Rye

It’s December 6, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your worst. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (1/5, WT101) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like getting roundhouse kicked by Patrick Swayze like it’s 1989. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< From their website, this is a blend of two 2-9 year old straight ryes. From MGP: 95% rye, 5% barley malt From HW: 80% rye, 20% malted rye Doesn’t mention the ratios. More accurately, they specifically mention that they refuse to tell you. I’m good with it. Nose has banana, salt, earth, must. Cigars, clove, perfume. Flowers. Smokey and complex. I’m in a burlesque dance club. I’m not sure why I’m surrounded by bananas. Body has melon, sugar, very faint apple. More like apple sauce than apple. Caramel. More flowers. I get a bit of butterscotch in there. Finish is black pepper, salt, earth. Perhaps it’s just because I’m looking for it, but the finish has that same weird aftertaste. Unmasked, I’d call it licorice or anise, which is a guaranteed way to letdown a Milliardo. When finished, I could only tell it was something I didn’t like, not what it was. This is disappointing but good. I think I’m disappointed only because the PX Sherry finish was so stellar. I’m also surprised as to how much of the heavy lifting this base juice did for flavor profile prior to the PX finish, both in the good notes and in the unpleasant aftertaste on the finish. The PX finish covered up some sins but also muted some pretty cool notes, leaning more strongly toward sherry notes. Because I started with the PX, drinking this is like tasting a pot of soup that’s still in progress. I recognize that there is value in its current state, but I still feel like there’s more work to be done. I’m currently holding out hope for better ryes, but if they don’t show themselves, I could see this being a permanent shelf member. Plus, when you buy the 2 pack with American Prairie, it comes in these freaking adorable minis that make me feel large and powerful in all the right ways. Maybe I’ll grab a bottle of PX and add in a few drops to every glass. Bottomless supply of PX “finished” Double Rye, here I come.

Not much on the nose, but a great spicy palate. There's a candied sweetness with mint and maybe some citrus? Finish is peppery and shortish.

Smooth but with a kick 5 seconds later. Good spice profile. Like drinking a scotch that stings.