The Senator (Winter 2020)

I was very pleasantly surprised by this. It was on the pricey side, but finally found it on sale. Close out at a big box store. I’m super happy I picked it up. It’s a fantastic, well rounded rye and a Goldilocks daily drinker since I bought it. 

Nose features gingerbread, pine tree, clove, lemon rind, and hay. Slight ethanol presence is forgivable given the proof, but it’s there. Palate is punchy with snickerdoodle cookie, anise, cinnamon sugar, vanilla bean, cardamom, and nutmeg. Long finish offers mint, light oak, rye spice, cinnamon, and pink peppercorn which builds in spiciness after repeated sips. Flavors from the palate carry over providing a slow, smooth transition to the finish. Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, and dry as a bone, bumping the overall experience up a notch. A wonderful example of a “sweet and spicy” rye with solid maturity, this provides a robust, integrated, and cohesive experience. At $83 and carrying a 6 yr age statement, it is fairly priced for what it offers. Very much MGP but with a slightly sweeter and more balanced profile compared to many other MGP offerings, proving the people at Proof and Wood know how to pick a barrel. I would say this is a cut above the norm, and a solid rebuy.

Nose: brown sugar butter, leather, mint Palate: oak, leather, mint Finish: oily, honey, mint. Moderate length drying. - Now for the wife’s notes: Nose: honeysuckle, oak Palate: yellow butter, blonde crème brûlée, oak Finish: honey, burn. Short, drying finish. Hint of char at the end.

buttery on the palette