Old Overholt Bonded Straight Rye Whiskey

Copper in color. Strong aromas of wood spices, cinnamon, corn oil, vanilla and brown sugar on the nose. This definitely tastes like a thin, young (4 year old) rye...but it’s got quite a bit going on. Sweet corn, white pepper and light oak are all prominent players in a fairly well-balanced flavor profile. It’s not overly harsh on its own, but a drop of water mellows it even more and gives it some citrus attributes. 3.7.

Alcohol burns and spiciness across the mouth. Good, cheap option for Manhattans.

Straight forward with no pretension. Light on the front end with just a touch of rye kick on the finish. A good bang for the buck.

It's rye. It's bonded. It's cheap. But it's not very good. Not bad, but almost. Hot and rough straight and ruins a Manhattan, even with Carpano Antica! Not bad in a Sazerac, but at this point I'm really just trying to get rid of it to open up the space on my shelf.

The expert review is mostly accurate, but this is not a very exciting rye. While the 50% abv heat is pleasant, it ultimately comes up short on flavor. Makes a decent manhattan, but nothing special. At the same price point, Rittenhouse wins hands down. Not bad, especially at the $24, but Rittenhouse is only $25!