It’s December 2, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Goals: This session I’m going to try to find at least 5 ryes that I’ve never had before that are at least 4.5 stars and readily available. I want a permanent rye shelf to join my two new permanent scotch shelves from last year. (0/5 so far). I want to understand the boundary between bourbon and rye. Not legally or recipe-wise, but taste-wise. That Wild Turkey 101 rye messed me up, and I feel like there should be a sharper contrast between the two spirits. I want to be able to taste any rye and any bourbon side-by-side blind and know the difference. I’m not there yet. I also want to try at least one Empire Rye. I’m totally hip-firing on that one. I read about it in a magazine, and I don’t even know if it’s a standardized thing yet or readily available in NW Indiana. But it just came to me, and I’m going to do it damnit. Finally I hope to develop my “rye palate” enough to make a true pickle juice monster palatable by the end. I haven’t thought of which one yet, but I remember having something at a bar once that was like drinking rum-finished salt water from a dill pickle’s jock strap. I want the one that’s worse than that. Something I’d really hate right now and maybe find interesting on 12/30. I don’t know if that development is possible either, but based on my experience with scotch, high proof, low proof, and >15year bourbon, I don’t see why it couldn’t happen. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< I’m not a fan of Elijah Craig. Some of their barrel proofs are good, but I thought the 18 year was trash given its price. Maybe the rye will surprise? Nose smells alarming. I’m going with salted peanut, grass, faint lemon. Mild spearmint maybe? Body is shockingly flat. It’s pleasant, but sugar water is the best thing I can come up with. (After a second pour, I got faint butter and corn, reminiscent of white dog.) On the back end of the taste, a jolt of electricity hits the back of your tongue and takes you to the finish. Damnit Elijah Craig, I wasn’t ready for this to be over. Finish has outstanding flavor: cinnamon, sugar, tea leaves. It’s floral. There’s something reminiscent of Four Roses SiB… which makes absolutely no sense to me. Given the prior notes. It’s my favorite part of the drink by far. Even though that flavorlessness is bizarre, this is actually really pleasant for me. I like this. It’s one of my favorite Heaven Hill products already. I still don’t know what the hell it means to be a rye, and this seems to me as distinct from WT101 rye as it is from Rhetoric. If you have notes on this body, please let me know. It’s tongue crickets for me.