Whip Saw Rye

It’s Friday...which means one thing. Actually a few things, but only one thing I look forward to. A nice dram to cap off a week. Finally opened up this unique rye. I took a wee sip, will take a much bigger dram this evening of course. This rye isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy rye and you love full bodied low tannic reds, this has your name all over it. I guess initially I anticipated something like High West Midwinter, but easily accessible and reasonably priced. It’s no where close to Midwinter. Sure both are finished in wine, but they’re as different as they can be. Whereas Midwinter evokes Christmas, this reminded me of visiting a Napa merlot winery. You get the spicy rye upfront, with surprisingly tempered heat, but the finish is where the red wine kicks in. In my opinion, it balances out the spice and makes the heat smoother. Red wine finishing for rye is always risky. Both are strong in their own right, and either you’ll get a tug of war mess, or it’ll be a nice partnership. It’s good to see both play well here, neither calling for attention over the other. It’s a unique rye, and at $50, worth it.

Not as spicy as I expected, aging in the wine barrels helps mellow it out. Beautiful.

I try to sip it slow but the smoothness doesn't help. cherry. vanilla, oak notes without being overly sweet.

(FWF Share #89 [7/12/2018]) Opened: 7/10/18 Finished: 1/6/19