Oregon Spirit Straight American Rye

MGP like on the nose, I fleck of Balcones rye the first part of the palate, dry and bitter finish. Glad I didn’t get a full bottle.

Licorice on the nose a little sweet pop on the palate.

medium heat, little sweet. average.

I'm not sure what I taste with this one. It was awful from start to finish. I strongly encourage you to get a sample bottle to try before you waste your money.

Nose - apple cider, mint, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, rye bread, clover honey, grape, sweet tobacco, floral notes, wax, apricot, peach, and other stewed fruit, vanilla, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - apple, apricot, mint, ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, honey, spicy rye, leather, tobacco, licorice, caramel, floral notes, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length and hot with rye bread, spiced apple, and mint flavors. This is much sweeter and fruitier than other 100% ryes I’ve tried, specifically Whistlepig and New Riff (which is 5% malted rye, to be exact). However, there’s enough herbal spice to let you know it’s not a barely legal rye. The spiciness is muted, though I wouldn’t say balanced, by the fruity sweetness. The nose and palate are a veritable potpourri of aromas and flavors; everything but the kitchen sink, so to speak. A more elegant whiskey would integrate these contrasting facets beautifully, but here it’s more mixture and less solution. That said, this is not a bad rye at all. Probably slightly above average, per my rating scale. However, the elephant in the room here is the price. At $50 a bottle, this is up against the likes of New Riff, Pikesville, and High West DR!, which are either much better (Pikesville and New Riff) or of similar quality and much cheaper (High West DR!) than this offering. This completes my Oregon Spirit review series. I was more impressed with this brand than the other Total Wine house brands I’ve reviewed. Overall, each of the three expressions (Bourbon, Wheat Whiskey, and Rye) has been average or slightly above average for me, but none is competitive in price against offerings in the larger market.

Uncorking- nose - definitely rye, earthy, spicy. Carries into the taste. Taste - rye spice and breads, green mints and grass, baking spices with sweetness, oak barrel. 94 proof and no burn drinking neat but you get the rye spice heating. Finishes - sweet w spice lingering for a medium finish. Not overly complex but very pleasant and a nice rye sample.