Stellum Rye

Carmel with dill

12th 7

Another MGP 95/5 rye, but I’m a little curious as to what the blenders at Barrell can pull off. Nose is full of spearmint, pine, lemongrass, and basil with a hint of graham cracker crust underneath. Definitely a sprucey affair. Palate pretty much matches the nose exactly with some richer honey in place of the graham cracker, but all other elements are present. Some camphor, menthol, and peppermint as well. Flavors definitely come in swinging, so that’s a plus. Finish is more mint with some pink peppercorn (closer to chili pepper than black pepper) And therein lies the rub; there is a lot of “sameness” here. Mouthfeel shows the youth of this product as it’s quite grainy. Ultimately a bit of a miss for me, as this lacks some complexity and depth and has a few rough edges. It’s not bad, but it needs…something, and I’m guessing that something is a bit more age. At $58, there are better rye options out there. Not a rebuy for me.

Excellent well balanced rye with a very interesting hibiscus minty note that I can still taste an hour later. Delicious

Tri State rye from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana brought to you by Barrell products. This nearly 120 proof rye should be bold and flavorful like it’s bourbon brother. Color - deep gold almost an amber like appearance, looks thin but the legs run pretty viscous. Nose - bright, golden pear, cedar, honey, and baking spice cinnamon and and apple notes (baked pie) are deeper into the glass. The nose was not overwhelming or strong but it was pleasant. Palate - spicy spearmint, honeyed wood, cedar and cinnamon tingle your taste buds. The flavor is bold but on the dry side, the finish is thin but lasting, the liquor is slightly viscous and very acidic the heat from the barrel strength lingers on your palate long after the taste has dissipated. The lasting finish is mellow but pleasant, honey, cedar, weathered leather and mint fairly balance but fairly pleasant. The Stellum rye is a true follow up to the bourbon counterpart, at times its bright and exhilarating, mellow yet complex, while it doesn’t bring out the sweeter taste it’s complexity makes up for it. This serves as a decent grab at its price range but leaves a bit to be desired as some small batches or single barrels in this price range feel more complete and well rounded, but this is a great intro into the barrell offerings. - the scotch guy

Flavors and bite is very subdued compare to the bourbon which was a surprise. Usually I expect cask strength ryes to kick me in the nuts, but surprisingly this went down pretty easily, even easier than the Stellum bourbon too. I got the oak, cinnamon and bit of a peppery spiciness with licorice. It’s a nice rye and a cask strength at this price point is pretty good.