Templeton Rye is one of the whiskey community's favorite whipping boys, so I was fairly curious to try it – I guess no news is bad news. That being said, I didn’t really want to spend my own money on something that I probably wouldn’t be a big fan of – 80 proof whiskies cater more towards the sensibilities of children and the infirm. When I saw this at a work event, I saw the perfect opportunity to check the box off for this one. Age: 4 years Mashbill: MGP Rye (95% rye; 5% barley) + unknown additives “within federal guidelines” Abv: 40% Price: N/A, but I know it’s $28.99 at the local Total Wine Setting: Neat in a tumbler at a work event Nose: There’s not much here. I got some light rye and that was about it, although drinking this in a tumbler instead of the trusty Glencairn surely didn’t help, so I don’t want to take off too many points here. (16/25 points) Taste: Lots of rye bread, accompanied by a mystery sweetness that for the life of me I couldn’t isolate into something more specific. Oddly enough, I didn’t get any of the usual MGP dill that shows up in MGP-sourced ryes (which is a disappointment to me, as I like that flavor). Although it’s completely one-note, it’s actually pretty decent. (41/50 points) Finish: Blink and it’s gone. The low proof is evident, as there’s no pleasing warming feel, although there is also no roughness, so their claims that this has a “clean and silky smooth” finish aren’t wrong (unless their BS background story). (17/25) points) Conclusion: This is the perfect whiskey for people who don’t like whiskey and/or people who judge the quality of a whiskey primarily on how smooth it is. I suspect there aren’t many people in this community who fall into this group, but there’s definitely a market for this, and truth be told, it isn’t half bad. I’d never go out of my way to buy this, but if offered again, I’d certainly drink it. I’m also not particularly perturbed about their rather shady additives or backstory – that’s unfortunately how the bourbon world is these days, and in the words of the wise philosopher known as Ice-T, don’t hate the playa, hate the game. 74/100