John Drew Rye

Quickly revisiting this at 25% left in the bottle. This isn't rye. Full stop. Just like Templeton rye isn't rye (confession - I like Templeton for what it is) and Casamigos Reposado or Casa Azul tequila isn't tequila (flame me if you must) - and in that statment I mean that these don't taste very much like taste standards of the category would suggest. They are sweeter. They are almost caricatures. They may be tasty, but they are not representative and, to me this doesn't taste like rye. I'd also say it really can't be used in a cocktail like another rye. Definitely not in a Manhattan. Not in an Old Fashioned. Maybe in a sour for someone with no taste for whisky... This is too sweet to be considered a good rye. It tastes kinda okay at first. But then it becomes cloying and thick and uninteresting. I'm deducting half a point from my first impression. Getting through the rest of this bottle will be a chore. I think I'll finish it off by sipping it with soda in a highball. Hard pass on another.

This is the only thing on earth that might be worse than souther comfort. A friend who knows nothing about whiskey bought it and left it at my house. One whiff of antiseptic, one acrid singe of the tongue and down the drain. This deserves an non-positive integer.

A dear friend brought this bottle by during a visit. Until I tasted it, I'd never even heard of it. Tasted neat in a glencairn after a few minutes rest. The pour is an apple juice clear pale amber. the nose is vanilla, ethanol, and slight oak. My nose says young and thin on this distillate. Since the bottle does not have the word straight or an age statement, there's no real knowing what's in this 90 proof juice. On the tongue this is light, sweet and simple. Simple as in "not complex". It's not bad. Enjoyable even. It tastes better than the nose suggests. It is inoffensive in every way. Kind of like the Wonder Bread of rye whiskies. This is actually a good choice for someone who's new to rye and whiskey, or whose palate isn't compatible with the often spicy and big "traditional" rye whiskey. In fact, when I think of this as a Canadian whiskey it all seems to make more sense. I think it's more in line with a Lot 40 than an Old Overholt bottled-in-bond. For what it's worth, I think I like the fruitcake of Lot 40 more than the vanilla of John Drew. I definitely like the price a lot more. At the $50 MSRP this is a hard pass. At a $35 sale price its worth tasting if you're adventurous. It faces extremely stiff competition from Old Forester, Templeton, WT, or Rittenhouse. In fact the list of competitive rye for $35 is pretty long. This is definitely not in the class of a Pikeville and really isn't competitive at MSRP. Low marks on the value scale, but if soft, sweet and approachable is the target then this will find the bullseye. I haven't tried it yet, but I don't think this is a candidate for a traditional Manhattan. Maybe better in a sweet Old Fashioned. I'll experiment a little. As I understand it this is distilled in Canada and shipped to Florida where it is branded and bottled. The story of this 90 proof whiskey is on the back of the bottle, but I'm not sure how much of it is marketing or how much of it is relevant to the flavor profile which is what I'm focusing on. There probably won't be another bottle of John Drew on my bar. It's worth tasting if you are in an establishment that carries it. If you are turned off by big, spicy, bold rye and want something simple, sweet, and dessert-like then maybe it will be a fit for you. Average in taste, behind on value, but interesting in origin. Like Templeton The Good Stuff, John Drew is going to end up being my liquor candy fix... until its gone.

Sweet and a bit spicy. Almost a corn finish. Very good. But again.

I honestly think that the bar I had this at may have rebottled something else, because after a few beers and a Buffalo Trace this tasted awful