James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Rye Barrel Proof

118.2 proof. Prior to a tour of the distillery several days ago, the only product I recognized from James E. Pepper was the Old Pepper rye in the tall, clear bottle, and always thought it to be rather overpriced for such a young rye. Today, with much more knowledge gained from the facility tour, I know now that that same bottle is their single barrel variant of this, the 1776 rye, but it is still steeply overpriced. Once I learned that the 1776 rye was an extremely small blend of only 6 barrels, I knew the single barrel was not needed, but the proof was still worth it; at $50, this seemed like an easy deal. I tasted the standard 1776 rye at the distillery, and now I'm hoping that there are more flavors to be discovered from the barrel proof version. For a #3 charred barrel and only 3.5 years spent in it, this whiskey has impressive color, while still a lighter body; think molasses that has been pretty heavily watered down. The scent can be picked up from several feet away, and as another surprise, it's actually sweet oak that's at the forefront, being a mix between floral notes of toasted oak, and classic vanilla and rum-sugar-sweetness from a more heavily charred barrel. There are grain notes, though, but the rye noses as if it's been aged and mellowed out for quite some time; usually 3 year rye whiskeys still have a potency of the cinnamon and herbaceousness. I believe the rye in this is not malted, so that may contribute to the less spicy notes. The initial flavor begins as mildly sweet oak, but the rye grain is also distinguishable at the same time, except through the gums instead of the tongue. There's a lot of the floral side of rye that comes out for most of the middle taste, which does help complement that sweet (but not overly so) flavor of the oak. The young age of the grain can't be ignored, however, since there is a raw element that contributes none of the traditional rye spice that is less than welcome. The finish is close to a sickeningly sweet area with some more toasted oak notes, but a few breaths and some time do allow some cinnamon and mint to make themselves known. I am slightly shocked that I dislike the barrel proof version over the standard 1776 rye. I'm attributing that to the barrel proof allowing more of the young, unmalted rye notes to pass through, which make it less focused on spices and herbs, my go-to notes for a rye whiskey. Having said that, the flavor of the grain itself is very fresh, which I always expect of rye whiskey from MGP. This is a neat alternative to the majority of similar rye whiskeys out there, and more special knowing that 95% of the mashbill is rye (a very proper rye whiskey mashbill indeed), so you know the flavors you're getting are all base essences of the rye itself.

(Mix & Match Ltd & The Spirit Cartel – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, 10th June 2021). Nose: Very light, not a lot on the nose. Hints of honey and clove. Palate: Sweet, strong black pepper and capsicum/chilli, char/ash, nutty Finish: Long finish. Very sweet, nutty and more of that explosive kick of pepper! Sweet and peppery throughout. A great kick to this very tasty dram!

Went through a whole bottle of this but didn’t take any notes. So, this is from memory…as unmemorable as the experience was: Working Title: Young, brash and reckless[ly not great]… ...and in conclusion: All spice and no play, makes James a dull dram. The End. Next...

Open 3 months 58.7% abv, 117.4 proof Nose - Sharp orange and lemon peel, light dill, honeysuckle, butterscotch, light rye spice, medium ethanol. Palate - Citronella candle, honey, cereal grain, light cocoa, nutmeg, spicy rye, tannic oak. Medium-long finish with sharp oak and rye, citrus oils, bitter honey, and black pepper. This is a solid rye for the price, but it doesn't excel in any category. There are a few ryes in the $40-50 range I would rather buy again, but you won't be disappointed with this. Plus, with the classic rye flavors and high abv, it is an excellent mixer if you're not feeling it neat.

Nose of banana bread, white pepper, and lemon zest. Palate is underwhelming, with some dark bread notes, but the finish is nice and bold, with notes of pear, mint, and nutmeg.