I clocked my review of the Rendezvous Rye a few months back, so it’s great to get this one in while that’s still relatively fresh in my mind. Batch: 21D06. Pre-rebrand. Nose: Black licorice. Dill. Gala apple. Black pepper, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. Vanilla and toffee. Cotton candy. Spearmint. Palate: Cinnamon Apple Jack’s. Peach tea. Cotton candy. Honey, toffee, and vanilla. Rye spice. Black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. A touch of orange citrus. Cocoa. Finish: Gala apple. Cinnamon Apple Jack’s. Vanilla, toffee, and honey. Cocoa. Rye spice, cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Moderate to short in length. This is a perfectly enjoyable sipper. The profile is pleasant and balanced and there isn’t one negative note to be detected here. However, this is missing the power and the flair that the Rendezvous Rye offers. The notes don’t jump out of the glass and you’ve got to work hard to adequately describe this. It’s surprisingly meek for a 46% ABV whiskey. Still, at $35, this quite easily hits its mark in terms of VFM. That’s about as cheap as I can find a true sipper these days, and although I’m not blown out of the water by this one, I can still appreciate a great deal for a fine whiskey—which contributes to the overall score here. 3.5/5.