Journeyman Distillery Not a King

Traveling down a whisk(e)y side path, I happened to acquire a bottle of Not a King Organic Rye Whiskey from Journeyman Distillery. Apparently this bottle features a throwback rye mashbill that was popular in the George Washington era. Without digging deep for facts, I’m pretty sure this is an annual February release to coincide with the Pres Day holiday. Pouring a really nice orange-tinted color, the aroma from the glencairn is a youthful combo of rye bread, spices, and fruit notes. The palate is a heavy syrup of maraschino cherries and triaminic with some lingering pepper. While it delivers a decent rye spiciness and warmth, there’s not really any memorable qualities. I’d call it middle of the pack even though my bank of ryes to compare it to is admittedly thin. Had higher expectations. Rating: the 91 score from Distiller is super generous as I’d lean low 80s - worth a pour but probably not a bottle. Journeyman is commendable for using quality ingredients and is one of the leading craft distilleries (along with Koval & Wigle) with a stable of organic spirits. In theory, I’d like to offer my continued support but the dilemma is paying $45-$50 for an entirely average product when I can get a higher quality bottle of High West Double Rye (and a bunch of other ryes I haven’t tried) for $10-$20 less. Tough call. Cheers Batch: 3 Bottle: 2327