cascode
Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock & Rye (84 Proof)
Rye — (BOTTLED IN) Scobeyville, New Jersey, USA
Reviewed
May 3, 2021 (edited June 26, 2023)
Appearance: Clear amber-gold
Aroma: Oak planks, herbal notes, orange oil, aromatic bitters. A pre-mixed whiskey cocktail. It's also oddly reminiscent of young malt whisky that has been matured in resinous first-fill bourbon casks.
Flavour & Texture: Spicy-sweet arrival that grows as it sits on the tongue. Herbal, honey-sweet but not cloying. The orange note is prominent on the palate and cuts through any heavy sweetness, eventually dominating the agreeably bittersweet finish.
This is an OK whisky-based drink but I don’t think it is accurate to class it as a liqueur. Liqueurs should be able to stand alone as an aperitif or digestif regardless of their use in any other context, and they also customarily have a greater sugar content than is found here. This is more properly classified as a "flavoured whiskey".
Whilst this is palatable neat it benefits from being served with a big chunk of ice or a mixer such as dry ginger ale. It's OK but a bit "meh" and I'd never buy a bottle. The official tasting notes are on-target but I don’t think this is worth anything like 88/100.
Thanks to @KT66 for the tasting sample
“Average” : 76/100 (2.5 stars)
60.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@DrRHCMadden This was what I expected it to be so I was not disappointed, just unimpressed. I’d not recommend it nor buy it but in comparison to all the other flavoured whiskey (with an “e”) drinks and liqueurs I’ve had it was not that bad ... which is both sobering and scary.
I don’t know how you found these flavours good Sir. I found this unpalatable orange goop.
in 'Murrica this stuff is basically our own Jager--drink it cold, drink lots of it. I havent bought any in a long time (been on a rum thing), but I probably will when I get through my staple bottle of bourbon. I keep craving that delicious orange goodness. Stewart's orange vanilla soda behind this with a classy smoke is the ~~chefs kiss~~ epitome of lazy-but-tasty cheap inebriation.
@cascode no, I agree with your "flavored whiskey" assessment, in these parts Slow and Low is popular, but mostly with the same crowd that consume Fireball.
@BeppeCovfefe Jagermeister is more cough-syrup herbal in profile and is based on neutral spirit. This is a lot closer to it's whiskey base-spirit with the flavouring notes just adding a different veneer.
Always suspected this was something like a jagiermeister style one off.. I'd be happy to find out I'm wrong but your review doesn't seem to discard that notion.