Pikesville Straight Rye

So I checked out a new whisk(e)y spot that was recommended to me. I liked the atmosphere of the place, but most of the pours were ridiculously overpriced. Sure, there were some harder to find bottles (some Hibiki and BTAC to tempt me....) but don’t get me started on the prices (let’s just say $300 and up and we’re not talking about Port Ellen’s or Brora’s). The list of highway robberies goes on and on. $120 for a pour of Glendronach 19? $100 for Balvenie 21? $80 for a pour of Birthday Bourbon? Seriously? These were not “venti”-sized pours either. Not to be deterred, and not to turn it into an evening of settling for overpriced cocktails, I did locate a bottle of the Pikesville Straight Rye tucked away on a shelf. For the sake of brevity and in light of the setting, I will treat this more as an “impressions” tasting - how much did I enjoy the qualities I experienced, what I liked or stood out, and where does it rank compared to other things I’ve tasted, etc. Everything I’ve read recently about this rye is true - different, delicious, rich, flavorful, balanced, and pleasant. It got better as I went along - layers of flavors uncovering themselves on subsequent tastes. It doesn’t drink like 110 proof either. I would definitely pick up a bottle of this later to do a proper tasting and enjoy at home for much better VFM. This ranks right along with the other drams I’ve rated 4 stars. It may even deserve higher. I’ll update this score accordingly when I hunt down a bottle and open it up. Highly recommended, especially if you can find it for ~$40-$45 a bottle.

This is good but it is hot. A little too spicy for me to drink straight. Would be great in an old fashioned. I prefer my ryes to be a little sweeter. The finish in this is long and peppery.

Let me start this review by complimenting the appearance of this Whiskey. A beautiful retro bottle (and cork) contains a lovely mahogany colored Rye. Now on to the tasting notes... NOSE: Big and Bold. Dry and Dusty. Fall/Mulling Spices including Cinnamon, Clove and Orange Peel. Hay and Old Oak. The Orange Oil becomes dominant after time in the glass. A Floral Note also makes an appearance, but it flits around the edges, coming and going. There is some heat from the 110 proof. NEAT: Oily, Dense and Heavy. Spicy, but it enters a little sweeter than the nose would suggest with light Vanilla. Orange, Rye and Oak dominate the mid-palate. On my first pour I noted some astringency, but I get none from the second pour a couple months later. However, the Orange Oil note is much more prominent on my second tasting. Goes down with a nice warming sensation leaving a lasting coating tingly finish of White Pepper and Dry Dusty/Musty Oak. Damn this finish lasts forever, layering flavor on top of flavor with each sip. That's the hallmark of a great whiskey for me. SPLASH: A few drops of water makes the Orange Peel even more prominent and brings some added Brown Sugar Sweetness as well. A few more drops and the sweetness hints at Gooey Caramel. VERDICT: I'm glad I finally tried this one. It may be my favorite rye now that the High West Double Rye extra-aged stocks are gone. I picked this one up on sale for around $40, but it is usually closer to $50. It may not be a frequent buy for me as it is almost twice the price of Rittenhouse, but it has definitely earned a spot on my top shelf.

110 Proof Pikesville Straight Rye. This Bad Boy of Rye is flavor busting, but with a very unique deep rich flavor profile, different than anything I have tasted before. The nose and taste of this reminds me of pecan shortbread cookies my wife makes for Christmas, that she dips half of each cookie in dark chocolate. Needless to say the nose is wonderful. The flavors are bursting with the bakery spices, chocolate, a good nuttiness, and shortbread cookies. This is a great flavor bomb and very unique too boot. The heat level is a little hot, but doesn't get in the way. Perfect sipper neat in a glencairn. I like Rittenhouse, but this Pikesville takes it off the charts. Great whiskey that I can get for mid 50's, and I'll say its worth it. I will get this again for a nice change and let me remind you - This Is Not A Normal Rye! Which is a good thing in this case! Recommended *This is now my top favorite rye.*