It’s December 8, 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. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (1/5, WT101) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a raunchy rye. I want the one that tastes like the evil green stuff in Rasputin’s lantern. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<< I don’t get these people. Some of their stuff is so good, and some of it is unethical to sell above $30. And the price difference between the former and later may be about $20 in a fleet of products that are already severely overpriced. I’m less pissed that my 7 year rye cost what it did and more pissed that I could have shelled out just $20 more for a VOSN 12. But no, I wanted to deep dive and see everything this rebooted product line has to offer. Mistake. Don’t do that. Grab the 12 and run. This bottle has the same buzz words associated with the VOSN products I like: “Ancient Cask.” I’ve been disappointed by ancient cask products before (from a cost perspective) but never like that maple rye abomination I had yesterday. So I’m cautiously optimistic. VOSN 8 Year Rye Whiskey Ancient Cask Lot#: 10 Age: 8 years ABV: 41.4% Origin: Canada Crafted: Artisan-ly Fingers: Crossed Nose is a 100% improvement. Thank you evil Santa for not boning me twice upon a December. I get apple, sugar, spearmint, lemon, caramel. Smells like a fantastic bourbon in the BT mashbill 2 spectrum. Body has a chalky mouthfeel. That’s new. Definitely chalky. The flavor diversity is completely gone now. It’s syrupy sweet, like simple syrup, and there’s not much flavor accompanying it. If I had to pick a few flavors, I’d go with syrup, caramel, and sugar. (Edit: drink enough, and you can pick out the apple again. Vanilla too. But it takes some dedication. Not immediately available.) Mint returns on the finish in a nice way. It’s one of the better balances of a mint note that I can remember. There is also a dill note, and some salt. This is the only place where I detect “rye” in a way I can understand. Mild baking spice at the very end, but this drink is gentle and very sweet overall. I understand how this whiskey is related to their other Canadian stuff. The same potential for disaster is there, but the notes are finally (and for the first time) balanced well. Their Canadian ones really are connected somehow on a deeper level than just “Canada.” If you want to taste what that Canadian recipe tastes like in its best form (and I truly don’t know why you would) this is the one to get. Skip RP14, RP15, and that 7 year abomination. Even with that comparative praise, this bottle is overpriced, over sweetened, and interesting only as a sniffer. Personally I prefer drinking my whiskey too. Never again. A pox upon all the Canadian VOSN products.