Rye

[mulegator]

If you're up for something interesting, try Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. It will run you about $65 and will be between 66-63 proof, depending on the year. Powerful nose, tons of flavor and great, long finish. Best looking bottle on the shelf, IMO too.

 

[mulegator]

That's too bad.

My bottle has been quite enjoyable.

Batch 0526
Bottle 0621

Maybe its because mine is an older batch?

For me
That's the second time I've had a Woodford and didn't like it.
I guess whatever they are doing I just don't like.

 

[mulegator]

View attachment 252574
Had a whiskey tasting with some buddies a while back and this was the unanimous favorite among the other options. We also learned that Knobb Creek is absolute garbage hah.

Anyone else having trouble finding this one at their local liquor store?

Had to order a bottle online recently.

I'll trade you my Woodford for any of those other bottles I listed.

 

[MLU]

You mean about 130 proof ?
Sounds very interesting.
Doesn't show up in Total Wine Tallahassee.
Wonder if it's available in Florida ?

Yeah, 130 proof. Not sure where my head was when I typed that. I think I was trying to picture the box where they display the abv to type in the poof and things just didn't translate to my fingertips.

It's a nationwide release. I don't know where you are in Florida, but you should be able to find it somewhere.

 

[gatordavisl]

Yeah, 130 proof. Not sure where my head was when I typed that. I think I was trying to picture the box where they display the abv to type in the poof and things just didn't translate to my fingertips.

It's a nationwide release. I don't know where you are in Florida, but you should be able to find it somewhere.

I see the Alberta BS rye at Costco up here in MN.

 

[gatordavisl]

It's happened to me several times with single barrel whiskies.
The first one is great.
The next one (different barrel) not so much.

My first bottle of George Dickel BiB was outstanding.
The next one (different barrel) SUCKED
I was so pissed off I wrote the Cascade Hollow folks about it.
When there is that much difference between the earlier and later barrels it feels like bait-and-switch.
It IS bait-and-switch as far as I'm concerned.

I'm sipping a Dickel BiB right now and really enjoying it. Recently, I've had Widow Jane 10yr and Dickel BiB (13yr), both which have an off-putting mineral quality. It smells like Flinstones vitamins for many. So here's what's worked: My first pour was a highland Scotch. My second pour was Widow Jane and my third pour was Dickel. This sequence from the fruity/spicy/grainy Scotch to the mineral whiskey tended to make the Widow Jane and Dickel taste REALLY good. They totally lost the mineral quality and the corn sweetness came through very nicely. If you've got a bottle of Scotch, try one of those before going to Dickel.

 

[mulegator]

I'm sipping a Dickel BiB right now and really enjoying it. Recently, I've had Widow Jane 10yr and Dickel BiB (13yr), both which have an off-putting mineral quality. It smells like Flinstones vitamins for many. So here's what's worked: My first pour was a highland Scotch. My second pour was Widow Jane and my third pour was Dickel. This sequence from the fruity/spicy/grainy Scotch to the mineral whiskey tended to make the Widow Jane and Dickel taste REALLY good. They totally lost the mineral quality and the corn sweetness came through very nicely. If you've got a bottle of Scotch, try one of those before going to Dickel.

Makes sense
Thanks
Right now I'm enjoying my first ever

 

[gatordavisl]

Makes sense
Thanks
Right now I'm enjoying my first ever

How do you like it?

 

[mulegator]

How do you like it?

Me likey

 

[mulegator]

Me likey

Definitely hits my flavor profile.
High rye and high ABV.

.. After further intense personal research
I'm moving this one up to my Top Five

 

[mulegator]

I recently helped my son move from north Florida to Texas.
Michael likes rye so I brought a couple of bottles out to Longview to enjoy with him.
I forget what the other one was but he kept the WhistlePig.
Smart boy.

 

[gatordavisl]

View attachment 261901
I recently helped my son move from north Florida to Longview Texas.
Michael likes rye so I brought a couple of bottles out to Longview to enjoy.
I forget what the other one was but he kept the WhistlePig.
Smart boy.

I think the other bottle you shared with your son was either Rittenhouse or High West double rye.

 

[mulegator]

I think the other bottle you shared with your son was either Rittenhouse or High West double rye.

That was on a previous occasion.
Those two are both good.
I think it was either the Contradiction or the Redemption in Texas, both are good.
I keep finding more high rye - high ABV's that I like.
I've shared several of those with my son on different occasions over the last few months.
Those older higher priced ryes I haven't tried yet are definitely on my list.
Those bottles you have Davis are outstanding I'm sure.
Save me a dram.

 

[mulegator]

I'm taking the bottles I'm not crazy about and blending them
It has worked every time so far
Think I'm onto something

 

[mulegator]

Just picked up another bottle of WhistlePig
My son snagged the last one

It was a real struggle for me between that one and this one

 

[MLU]

I've never had the Contradiction Rye, but I do have a bottle of Smooth Ambler Old Scout Rye Single Barrel that's a nice 114 proof that is quite enjoyable.

 

[mulegator]

I've never had the Contradiction Rye, but I do have a bottle of Smooth Ambler Old Scout Rye Single Barrel that's a nice 114 proof that is quite enjoyable.

Sounds like my cuppa tea
About $50 ?

 

[Nitwit]

I'm taking the bottles I'm not crazy about and blending them
It has worked every time so far
Think I'm onto something
View attachment 263795

I’m surprised that Woodford Reserve would be included on that list. What’s not to like?

 

[mulegator]

Personal preference
The Woodford Reserve tasted kinda meh

I'm veddy opinionated - almost a curse
I will alwys telly ya wot I think

 

[MLU]

Sounds like my cuppa tea
About $50 ?

$75

 

[mulegator]

$75

Sounds like a winner!
I'll be amblin and scoutin around for this one

So far no luck
Every juice store I called in Tallahassee can't get it

 

[mulegator]

Anyone tasted this ??

 

[MLU]

Anybody tasted this ??
View attachment 274142

Total Wine did a single barrel pick last year of WP 10 year aged in Cognac casks that was fantastic. I find WP to be ridiculously overrated for the price and can name a dozen eyes that are better for much less the price, but that 1 batch was worth every penny of the $109 I gave.

 

[BamaMBA19]

Total Wine did a single barrel pick last year of WP 10 year aged in Cognac casks that was fantastic. I find WP to be ridiculously overrated for the price and can name a dozen eyes that are better for much less the price, but that 1 batch was worth every penny of the $109 I gave.

What total wine ?

 

[mulegator]

Total Wine did a single barrel pick last year of WP 10 year aged in Cognac casks that was fantastic. I find WP to be ridiculously overrated for the price and can name a dozen ryes that are better for much less the price, but that 1 batch was worth every penny of the $109 I gave.

MLU:
Please give us your top 5-10 price/quality picks.
I am quite fond of the high abv - high rye/100% ryes with a bit of time in a nice finishing barrel. These tend to be quite pricey.
I am looking into Alberta Distillers Limited products, which are hard to find in Tallahassee.
We have a new Total Wine here, which is great.
Takk
MG

 

[CarolineBynum]

View attachment 249925

Love this one. Bought the second to last one on the shelf for $90 here in Nashville.

Plus the bottle is a head-turner on the bar

 

[SurlyGator]

I'm taking the bottles I'm not crazy about and blending them
It has worked every time so far
Think I'm onto something
View attachment 263795

Unless you like multivitamins, any Dickel or Dickel sourced products (there are lots of them, read the small print for anything distilled in Tennessee) could ruin your mixes, FYI. That aftertaste is noticable from a mile away, and I would assume next to impossible to cover up.

Unless you like Dickel, in which case it probably wouldn't be in your mixing bin anyway.

 

[Outsider Jim]

MLU:
Please give us your top 5-10 price/quality picks.
I am quite fond of the high rye/100% ryes with a nice finish and a bit of age. These tend to be quite pricey.
I am looking into Alberta Distillers Limited products, which are hard to find in Tallahassee.
We have a new Total Wine here, which is great.
Takk
MG

If you want tasty ryes at $30 . . . you can't go wrong with Rittenhouse Bonded, Old Overholt, Old Forester or Wild Turkey.

Moving up the ladder in the $50 range, WhistlePig PiggyBack 6 Year, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, and Knob Creek Single Barrel Select are all damn solid.

If you want something special at $150, get ya a bottle of High West's A Midwinter Night's Dram.

 

[MLU]

What total wine ?

Fort Worth, TX

 

[MLU]

If you want tasty ryes at $30 . . . you can't go wrong with Rittenhouse Bonded, Old Overholt, Old Forester or Wild Turkey.

Moving up the ladder in the $50 range, WhistlePig PiggyBack 6 Year, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, and Knob Creek Single Barrel Select are all damn solid.

If you want something special at $150, get ya a bottle of High West's A Midwinter Night's Dram.

High West really killed me with MWND prices this year. I'm still working on an Act 9. Rittenhouse is my preferred rye for Old Fashioneds. KC SiB can be elite, especially if you find those 120 proofers.

 

[Outsider Jim]

High West really killed me with MWND prices this year. I'm still working on an Act 9. Rittenhouse is my preferred rye for Old Fashioneds. KC SiB can be elite, especially if you find those 120 proofers.

Remember when MWND was going for sub-$100 a few years ago? Creeps up every year.

 

[mulegator]

Just picked up a bottle of Alberta
About $75 at Total Wine Tallahassee

BOOM!
Powerful!
Needs aging/finishing
But it mixes very well with everything.
I like to mix it with WhistlePig PiggyBack.

I always drink my ryes neat.
Maybe just a quick ice cube wash.

 

[mulegator]

Let me throw this out to the esteemed aficionados who inhabit these denizens

Good bottle of rye for $75 or less

Top 5 ??

 

[MLU]

MLU:
Please give us your top 5-10 price/quality picks.
I am quite fond of the high rye/100% ryes with a nice finish and a bit of age. These tend to be quite pricey.
I am looking into Alberta Distillers Limited products, which are hard to find in Tallahassee.
We have a new Total Wine here, which is great.
Takk
MG

Easy to find Ryes that hit the mark:
Michter's Rye
Dickel Rye
Bulleit Rye
Knob Creek SiB
Jack Daniels Rye
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Old Overholt
Pikeville Rye

None of those should cost more than $60. Pikesville, Rare Breed and Michter's will be right at that mark. Everything else should be below $40.

Options that might be a tad bit more difficult to find or cost above $60:
Alberta Premium Cask Strength
Angels Envy Rye
Barrell Seagrass
Michter's BS Rye
Michter's 10 yr Rye
Old Forester BS Rye
Jefferson's Ocean Cognac Rye
Wilderness Trail Rye

Ryes that I find bland or overrated for the price:
Old Forester Rye
Sazerac Rye
Willet Family Estate
High West Rendezvous Rye (after 2017)
Elijah Craig Rye
Peerless Rye
Woodford Reserve Rye
Tin Cup
The Senator
Templeton Rye
Redemption Rye
WT 101 Rye
Blue Run Golden Rye
Restoration Rye

I do have a bottle of Old Ezra 7 year BS Rye that I have yet to open. I also hoarded a few bottles of Knob Creek Twice Barrelled Rye that were a one time only release that is worth every penny of $70 if you happen to stumble across a bottle. It's a real bourbon drinker's rye and you can buy it with confidence IMO.

Remember when MWND was going for sub-$100 a few years ago? Creeps up every year.

I feel like I paid $95 last year.

 

[mulegator]

OK I'll play

WhistlePig PiggyBack 6 year old 100% Rye at 97 proof - My #1

Tied at #1 with the Pig
Alberta Premium Cask Strength at 127 - 130 proof

Then
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye at 112 proof
Really really good

Then in no particular order

Smooth Ambler Contradiction Rye - a personal favorite
Redemption Rye - a great buy and one of my favorites
High West Double Rye

(The High West Rendezvous is on my shopping list. Haven't had it yet, but from my positive experience with High West Double Rye, the Rendezvous would probably make my top ten)

These are quite drinkable everyday sippers

Rittenhouse BiB Rye
Bulleitt Rye
Wild Turkey 101 Rye

There are many rye whiskeys that contain between 51% - 60% rye. Some of these are quite tasty. I enjoy 90 - 100% rye content in the mash bill.
Not coincidentally, I also like spicy foods. It's a personal preference.
Many "high-rye" bourbons actually don't have all that much rye in them. Usually around 18-35%.
Some distilleries treat their mash bills as proprietary trade secrets. That really pisses me off but I understand their perspective.

Bourbon and Whiskey Mash Bills – ModernThirst

What Is A High Rye Whiskey?

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Bourbon vs Rye whiskey: What's the Difference? - Gentlemen Ranters

'Bourbon' and 'Rye' describe two of the most prominent American whiskey styles.

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Mash Bill Recipes: Breaking It Down by Whiskey Style | Distiller

Whiskey makers use a variety of different mash bill recipes depending on if they’re making bourbon, rye or other styles of whiskey.

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How Understanding a Mash Bill Helps You Find Whiskey You Love

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Secret Mash Bills Are Stupid

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I'm sure many of those $100+ bottles are great
They're just out of my league.
I feel bad paying more than $50 a bottle
Even though I sometimes do.

 

[mulegator]

Newest member of my Top Ten Top Five
It blends with everything

Alberta® Premium Cask Strength named “World Whisky of the Year” by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2021

www.beamsuntory.com

 

[mulegator]

 

[mulegator]

I've been privately blending the Alberta and the PiggyBack lately
Sublime

 

[mulegator]

Very curious about this one
Has anyone tried it ?

Basil Hayden Dark Rye Review | Breaking Bourbon

A blend of Kentucky straight rye, Canadian rye, and port, Basil Hayden Dark Rye is a full-flavored fruit-forward affair that continues to deliver four years after its initial release. Review and tasting notes for Basil Hayden Dark Rye.

www.breakingbourbon.com

 

[mulegator]

I continue to experiment with blending some of these bottles that I'm not crazy about.
I mixed a little tumbler about 50-50 with Early Times BiB bourbon and Woodford Reserve straight rye at 90 proof.
Not bad
Not bad at all
The Early Times is a bit rough and the Woodford Reserve is pretty mellow.
They balance each other quite well.