High West Double Rye

For the price it’s awesome!

N: floral, smoky P: spicy. Cinnamon, smoky F: long, slow, building Very nice Rye, spicy, but very smooth and drinkable

Nose - anise, cocoa, dill, eucalyptus, banana bread, walnut, spearmint, clove, allspice, dry vanilla, caramel, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - anise, oak notes, cinnamon, leather, tobacco, eucalyptus, mint, menthol, clove and assorted rye spice, vanilla, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with minty menthol, anise, and sour, tannic oak flavors. I purchased a bottle of this to evaluate as a possible candidate for replacing my house mixing rye, as I was looking for something reasonably budget friendly with a high rye mash bill. The MGP component in the blend comes through loud and clear with the mint, dill, and eucalyptus flavors. Overall, I really like the nose, but feel that the quality doesn’t quite transfer to the palate. It’s simple, thin, and a bit too sour and bitter on the finish to pass the test. I decided to keep the Rittenhouse as my house mixer, which I later replaced with New Riff rye, an excellent high rye whiskey for cocktails. I’d say this is above average, but nothing special. And the price pits it unfavorably against many strong contenders on the shelf.