Bourbon guys (8 Viewers)

[wlwiles]

Landed a Jack Daniels 14 Yr yesterday at a new store I've been getting acquainted with. Didn't think I had quite built up enough loyalty yet to get a bottle like this so soon, but I swung by to taste and pickup their new Russell's store pick, and while chatting with the owner I ventured a "Do you think you'll get any JD14 in?" feeler. He surprised me and pulled one out of the back.

I asked if he'd tried it yet and he said "no, don't think I'm going to keep one for myself" so I said "let's try this one then" and cracked it open and shared a taste with him. So he knocked a little off the price for that

 

[AAABatteries]

Picked up an Old Forester 1924 Batch 2 last Friday, and also snagged a Rock Hill Farms for the first time ever. RHF has been one of those unobtainum bottles in my area, just never see them at any price, even the museums around me don't ever have it. Not sure what MRSP has gone up to but I got it for 100 so I'm happy...

I've heard good things about both. I'm seeing a lot more 'allocated-ish' stuff on the shelves lately, so hopefully that means us regular folks can start to get our hands on them.

Heck, I'm even seeing Stagg (jr.) for purchase (VERY secondary price though, but it's a start). But previously harder to get stuff like ECBP, Bookers, and EH Taylor are everywhere now.

Got a bottle of Stagg for $100 and Redbreast CS 12 yr. for $125. Two that you rarely saw around here. This was at a place where I know the owner a little bit and he had them in his office - it's a little above MSRP but those are two of my favorite bottles so was willing to pull the trigger.

 

[MrJimiT]

Landed a Jack Daniels 14 Yr yesterday at a new store I've been getting acquainted with. Didn't think I had quite built up enough loyalty yet to get a bottle like this so soon, but I swung by to taste and pickup their new Russell's store pick, and while chatting with the owner I ventured a "Do you think you'll get any JD14 in?" feeler. He surprised me and pulled one out of the back.

I asked if he'd tried it yet and he said "no, don't think I'm going to keep one for myself" so I said "let's try this one then" and cracked it open and shared a taste with him. So he knocked a little off the price for that

That's an awesome scenario for you!! First of all, what state/region of the country was this taking place? And secondly...did you enjoy the JD14??? I know what YouTubers are saying about it but I have yet to come across anyone I know who has tried it.

 

[wlwiles]

Landed a Jack Daniels 14 Yr yesterday at a new store I've been getting acquainted with. Didn't think I had quite built up enough loyalty yet to get a bottle like this so soon, but I swung by to taste and pickup their new Russell's store pick, and while chatting with the owner I ventured a "Do you think you'll get any JD14 in?" feeler. He surprised me and pulled one out of the back.

I asked if he'd tried it yet and he said "no, don't think I'm going to keep one for myself" so I said "let's try this one then" and cracked it open and shared a taste with him. So he knocked a little off the price for that

That's an awesome scenario for you!! First of all, what state/region of the country was this taking place? And secondly...did you enjoy the JD14??? I know what YouTubers are saying about it but I have yet to come across anyone I know who has tried it.

I'm in Mississippi. Seems like it released to a few stores in the state all in the same day, as our local FB bourbon groups were buzzing - one person saw it at X store, others started speculating which other stores might get it, some with owner connections reported back that Store X got it, Store Y didn't, etc.

So far I've only tried the one taste with the owner, and it was maybe 1/4 ounce, out of a plastic sample cup, and **neckpour**. But my first impression was "JD12 was a clear two tiers above JD10 (to me), and this JD14 is one or maybe two tiers above that 12 yr". It did NOT immediately make me think "top 5 whiskey ever", at least not off that first taste, but I could see what the whiskeytubers are raving about. Its 126 proof so a big jump from the 107 proof of the JD12, and I'm glad for it. I get butterscotch/caramel mixture, almost a Werther's original candy, and red fruit notes on the palate, and it's deep and complex with a good long finish, and definitely oaky in the best way. Not much nose to speak of yet bc of the plastic cup. I didn't pick up any of the classic JD banana yet though, but hoping it's there as it opens.

Gotta go out of town this weekend so it won't be for a bit, but I want to do a side-by-side of the JD10, 12, and 14, and I also want to compare JD14 with the RR15 that I got last year. Can't wait to dive deeper into it, because the first impression was great. I really want a Coy Hill to compare with it as well, but no luck on one of those yet.

 

[Rig24]

Picked up an Old Forester 1924 Batch 2 last Friday, and also snagged a Rock Hill Farms for the first time ever. RHF has been one of those unobtainum bottles in my area, just never see them at any price, even the museums around me don't ever have it. Not sure what MRSP has gone up to but I got it for 100 so I'm happy...

I've heard good things about both. I'm seeing a lot more 'allocated-ish' stuff on the shelves lately, so hopefully that means us regular folks can start to get our hands on them.

Heck, I'm even seeing Stagg (jr.) for purchase (VERY secondary price though, but it's a start). But previously harder to get stuff like ECBP, Bookers, and EH Taylor are everywhere now.

Got a bottle of Stagg for $100 and Redbreast CS 12 yr. for $125. Two that you rarely saw around here. This was at a place where I know the owner a little bit and he had them in his office - it's a little above MSRP but those are two of my favorite bottles so was willing to pull the trigger.

Not a terrible price on the Stagg, which batch was it?

 

[wlwiles]

Gotta go out of town this weekend so it won't be for a bit, but I want to do a side-by-side of the JD10, 12, and 14, and I also want to compare JD14 with the RR15 that I got last year. Can't wait to dive deeper into it, because the first impression was great. I really want a Coy Hill to compare with it as well, but no luck on one of those yet.

I love hunting for bourbon while out of town. Finally found a couple things I'd been searching for a while for, nabbed some new releases that hadn't made it to my state yet, and got offered a nice allocated bottle by a cool store owner because I was about to buy 3 bottles at once. All in all I got:

Russell's Single Barrel Rye
ECBP A125
Bardstown Discovery #11
Blanton's SFTB
Four Roses SiB OESK (red label)
Four Roses SiB OBSF (red label)
Ben Holladay Bourbon Rickhouse Proof

 

[AAABatteries]

Picked up an Old Forester 1924 Batch 2 last Friday, and also snagged a Rock Hill Farms for the first time ever. RHF has been one of those unobtainum bottles in my area, just never see them at any price, even the museums around me don't ever have it. Not sure what MRSP has gone up to but I got it for 100 so I'm happy...

I've heard good things about both. I'm seeing a lot more 'allocated-ish' stuff on the shelves lately, so hopefully that means us regular folks can start to get our hands on them.

Heck, I'm even seeing Stagg (jr.) for purchase (VERY secondary price though, but it's a start). But previously harder to get stuff like ECBP, Bookers, and EH Taylor are everywhere now.

Got a bottle of Stagg for $100 and Redbreast CS 12 yr. for $125. Two that you rarely saw around here. This was at a place where I know the owner a little bit and he had them in his office - it's a little above MSRP but those are two of my favorite bottles so was willing to pull the trigger.

Not a terrible price on the Stagg, which batch was it?

Need to check - will try to remember to look tonight

 

[BrutalPenguin]

The Buffalo Trace distillery was flooded yesterday. We may see even worse availability of BT and Blanton's, etc in the future.

 

[bcat01]

The Buffalo Trace distillery was flooded yesterday. We may see even worse availability of BT and Blanton's, etc in the future.

Sounds like possible substantial damage. This is from their facebook page.

Flood waters in the Frankfort community continued to recede on Wednesday and, as such, Buffalo Trace Distillery has begun in earnest the assessment, clean-up and recovery process required due to this historic event.
At their peak, flood waters reached the second highest recorded levels in the Distillery's 200 plus year history, with the Kentucky River cresting at 48.24 feet. Though Buffalo Trace is still determining the final scale of total site infrastructure impact, early assessments indicate the damages are substantial and recovery efforts will be ongoing for some time.
While the flood waters have started to subside in certain areas of the Distillery, a significant amount of the campus remains under water. Expert teams have begun the clean-up process in areas where it is safe and accessible to do so.
Additional updates:
Buffalo Trace Distillery will be closed to visitors through at least Friday, April 11th with an aim to re-open to visitors in a modified capacity as soon as possible.
The “Easter at the Trace Easter Egg Hunt” event planned for this weekend has unfortunately been cancelled. Ticket owners have also been contacted via email.
Though roads opened earlier today, only select team members and recovery experts are permitted on-site. The outpouring of support from Buffalo Trace’s community of dedicated team members, consumers, city and county officials, and vendor partners has been incredible and offers to lend physical support to the cleanup efforts are greatly appreciated. However, at this time only approved personnel are able to access the site.
In the coming weeks Buffalo Trace looks forward to sharing details on forthcoming relief initiatives to further support the community. Should you want to support relief efforts in the immediate, the Franklin County Flood Relief Fund has been set up by the city to collect donations and offer aid to those who need it most. Find more information via the following link: https://bgcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Storage question (if anyone keeps a bottle long enough), what's the best way to store a bottle long term? I have a 1.75l bottle of weller 12 i bought probably a decade ago and is still unopened and i want to store it long term. It's got the ****ty plastic top and no cork, so i worry the angel's share is going to be more than I'd like.

 

[Harry Manback]

Storage question (if anyone keeps a bottle long enough), what's the best way to store a bottle long term? I have a 1.75l bottle of weller 12 i bought probably a decade ago and is still unopened and i want to store it long term. It's got the ****ty plastic top and no cork, so i worry the angel's share is going to be more than I'd like.

If it's unopened I don't think you will be losing anything, angel's share is almost exclusively pertaining to barrel aging, as the barrels are not sealed airtight so gas escapes. In a closed bottle no gas would escape.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Storage question (if anyone keeps a bottle long enough), what's the best way to store a bottle long term? I have a 1.75l bottle of weller 12 i bought probably a decade ago and is still unopened and i want to store it long term. It's got the ****ty plastic top and no cork, so i worry the angel's share is going to be more than I'd like.

If it's unopened I don't think you will be losing anything, angel's share is almost exclusively pertaining to barrel aging, as the barrels are not sealed airtight so gas escapes. In a closed bottle no gas would escape.

Thanks. Right now i have it wrapped with cling wrap and a rubber band. Good to hear those caps don't let a lot of gas exchange.

Funny thing with angel's share and my familiarity with it. My great grandpa and grandpa were moonshiners (great grandpa was an actual bootlegger tied into Chicago grandpa was just for the novelty) and the still was passed down to me. I've made more than a few runs also for the novelty. I've made halfway decent whiskey from corn squeezing then aging with a charred oak chunk for 6 months or so (the length of time you bake the oak will give different flavor profiles), but mostly just rum and pure sugar alcohol for the ease factor. Great way to spice up a poker game with your buddies . The old timers used an actual oak barrel to age, but that's too much of a hassle for me, but i remember hearing all about angel's share as a young kid.

 

[Galileo]

Storage question (if anyone keeps a bottle long enough), what's the best way to store a bottle long term? I have a 1.75l bottle of weller 12 i bought probably a decade ago and is still unopened and i want to store it long term. It's got the ****ty plastic top and no cork, so i worry the angel's share is going to be more than I'd like.

If it's unopened I don't think you will be losing anything, angel's share is almost exclusively pertaining to barrel aging, as the barrels are not sealed airtight so gas escapes. In a closed bottle no gas would escape.

Thanks. Right now i have it wrapped with cling wrap and a rubber band. Good to hear those caps don't let a lot of gas exchange.

Funny thing with angel's share and my familiarity with it. My great grandpa and grandpa were moonshiners (great grandpa was an actual bootlegger tied into Chicago grandpa was just for the novelty) and the still was passed down to me. I've made more than a few runs also for the novelty. I've made halfway decent whiskey from corn squeezing then aging with a charred oak chunk for 6 months or so (the length of time you bake the oak will give different flavor profiles), but mostly just rum and pure sugar alcohol for the ease factor. Great way to spice up a poker game with your buddies . The old timers used an actual oak barrel to age, but that's too much of a hassle for me, but i remember hearing all about angel's share as a young kid.

Are you saving the bottle for a special occasion? Time to pop it open and enjoy! You are probably fine, but if you want something with better sealing ability than cling wrap and a rubber band, try some silicone tape. Also, keep it out of direct sunlight.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Storage question (if anyone keeps a bottle long enough), what's the best way to store a bottle long term? I have a 1.75l bottle of weller 12 i bought probably a decade ago and is still unopened and i want to store it long term. It's got the ****ty plastic top and no cork, so i worry the angel's share is going to be more than I'd like.

If it's unopened I don't think you will be losing anything, angel's share is almost exclusively pertaining to barrel aging, as the barrels are not sealed airtight so gas escapes. In a closed bottle no gas would escape.

Thanks. Right now i have it wrapped with cling wrap and a rubber band. Good to hear those caps don't let a lot of gas exchange.

Funny thing with angel's share and my familiarity with it. My great grandpa and grandpa were moonshiners (great grandpa was an actual bootlegger tied into Chicago grandpa was just for the novelty) and the still was passed down to me. I've made more than a few runs also for the novelty. I've made halfway decent whiskey from corn squeezing then aging with a charred oak chunk for 6 months or so (the length of time you bake the oak will give different flavor profiles), but mostly just rum and pure sugar alcohol for the ease factor. Great way to spice up a poker game with your buddies . The old timers used an actual oak barrel to age, but that's too much of a hassle for me, but i remember hearing all about angel's share as a young kid.

Are you saving the bottle for a special occasion? Time to pop it open and enjoy! You are probably fine, but if you want something with better sealing ability than cling wrap and a rubber band, try some silicone tape. Also, keep it out of direct sunlight.

Thank you. This is a much better option than cling wrap and a rubber band. It's stored in a cabinet, so no light and no temp fluctuations. The plastic cap made me nervous, but these opinions make me feel better.

Been a bourbon fan for a long time and had a decent collection for awhile. Love the wheated bourbons especially. I used to buy weller 12 and old weller antique 107 locally then that dried up and i was getting it online. Eventually that became difficult and prices jumped. Yada yada, I quit drinking and looks like it has decent value on the secondary market so i wanted to preserve it. It'll probably be a gift for someone in the future and i wanted to be sure 5% wouldn't evaporate into thin air in the meantime.

 

[Rig24]

Storage question (if anyone keeps a bottle long enough), what's the best way to store a bottle long term? I have a 1.75l bottle of weller 12 i bought probably a decade ago and is still unopened and i want to store it long term. It's got the ****ty plastic top and no cork, so i worry the angel's share is going to be more than I'd like.

If it's unopened I don't think you will be losing anything, angel's share is almost exclusively pertaining to barrel aging, as the barrels are not sealed airtight so gas escapes. In a closed bottle no gas would escape.

Thanks. Right now i have it wrapped with cling wrap and a rubber band. Good to hear those caps don't let a lot of gas exchange.

Funny thing with angel's share and my familiarity with it. My great grandpa and grandpa were moonshiners (great grandpa was an actual bootlegger tied into Chicago grandpa was just for the novelty) and the still was passed down to me. I've made more than a few runs also for the novelty. I've made halfway decent whiskey from corn squeezing then aging with a charred oak chunk for 6 months or so (the length of time you bake the oak will give different flavor profiles), but mostly just rum and pure sugar alcohol for the ease factor. Great way to spice up a poker game with your buddies . The old timers used an actual oak barrel to age, but that's too much of a hassle for me, but i remember hearing all about angel's share as a young kid.

Are you saving the bottle for a special occasion? Time to pop it open and enjoy! You are probably fine, but if you want something with better sealing ability than cling wrap and a rubber band, try some silicone tape. Also, keep it out of direct sunlight.

Thank you. This is a much better option than cling wrap and a rubber band. It's stored in a cabinet, so no light and no temp fluctuations. The plastic cap made me nervous, but these opinions make me feel better.

Been a bourbon fan for a long time and had a decent collection for awhile. Love the wheated bourbons especially. I used to buy weller 12 and old weller antique 107 locally then that dried up and i was getting it online. Eventually that became difficult and prices jumped. Yada yada, I quit drinking and looks like it has decent value on the secondary market so i wanted to preserve it. It'll probably be a gift for someone in the future and i wanted to be sure 5% wouldn't evaporate into thin air in the meantime.

Sounds like you got it secured pretty well. The market seems to be shifting back to those that like to actually drink their bourbon, hoping to come across more 107s in the future.

 

[AAABatteries]

Picked up an Old Forester 1924 Batch 2 last Friday, and also snagged a Rock Hill Farms for the first time ever. RHF has been one of those unobtainum bottles in my area, just never see them at any price, even the museums around me don't ever have it. Not sure what MRSP has gone up to but I got it for 100 so I'm happy...

I've heard good things about both. I'm seeing a lot more 'allocated-ish' stuff on the shelves lately, so hopefully that means us regular folks can start to get our hands on them.

Heck, I'm even seeing Stagg (jr.) for purchase (VERY secondary price though, but it's a start). But previously harder to get stuff like ECBP, Bookers, and EH Taylor are everywhere now.

Got a bottle of Stagg for $100 and Redbreast CS 12 yr. for $125. Two that you rarely saw around here. This was at a place where I know the owner a little bit and he had them in his office - it's a little above MSRP but those are two of my favorite bottles so was willing to pull the trigger.

Not a terrible price on the Stagg, which batch was it?

Need to check - will try to remember to look tonight

24D - gets good reviews.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Knob Creek
Bourbon and Rye 113 proof

For the price I was rather surprised by the taste, didn't feel like buying Whistle Pig which I like a lot but the 10 and 12 yr gets expensive
This was $60-$65 at a small liquor store in a strip mall, probably like $50 at Total Wine but wasn't in the mood to drive 10 miles one way

I was kind of surprised, relatively smooth. Was going to mix it with a Red Rock ginger ale but ended up just drinking it straight on a big rock

 

[odin33]

Anyone tried the Four Roses single barrel OESO?

Dropping into store by work after work knowing it was their drop day, had about a dozen of these left.

 

[wlwiles]

Anyone tried the Four Roses single barrel OESO?

Dropping into store by work after work knowing it was their drop day, had about a dozen of these left.

I haven't found a bad Four Roses Single Barrel yet. I've had OESO but it was a store pick at barrel strength, and it was fantastic. Hoping to find all the red labels that 4R is starting to put out so I can do an ultimate side by side of all ten recipes at the same 100 proof. They're only releasing 3 each year so it's going to take till 2027 to get them all.

 

[odin33]

Anyone tried the Four Roses single barrel OESO?

Dropping into store by work after work knowing it was their drop day, had about a dozen of these left.

I haven't found a bad Four Roses Single Barrel yet. I've had OESO but it was a store pick at barrel strength, and it was fantastic. Hoping to find all the red labels that 4R is starting to put out so I can do an ultimate side by side of all ten recipes at the same 100 proof. They're only releasing 3 each year so it's going to take till 2027 to get them all.

I can likely make that happen. According to ohlq all three at at my local Kroger. What part of Ohio are you in?

 

[wlwiles]

Anyone tried the Four Roses single barrel OESO?

Dropping into store by work after work knowing it was their drop day, had about a dozen of these left.

I haven't found a bad Four Roses Single Barrel yet. I've had OESO but it was a store pick at barrel strength, and it was fantastic. Hoping to find all the red labels that 4R is starting to put out so I can do an ultimate side by side of all ten recipes at the same 100 proof. They're only releasing 3 each year so it's going to take till 2027 to get them all.

I can likely make that happen. According to ohlq all three at at my local Kroger. What part of Ohio are you in?

I'm in Mississippi. Haven't seen any red label 4R in my state yet, but I found two of the three in Louisiana so far.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Knob Creek
Bourbon and Rye 113 proof is still getting the job done this week.

I've mixed it w/Red Rock golden ginger ale, delicious
Goes well with pepsi and coke as a splash on top.

I'm finding very little to gripe about for the price and I haven't been waking up with any lingering effects, now that could be because I cap it about 2 cocktails
It's Friday so 3+ might be on the menu

The bourbon thread 77 pages, the whiskey threads need some viagra, they're weak compared to the number of folks who post in here
Is it that slanted when you compare bourbon vs whiskey drinkers? I love Kentucky whiskey

 

[jwb]

Knob Creek
Bourbon and Rye 113 proof is still getting the job done this week.

I've mixed it w/Red Rock golden ginger ale, delicious
Goes well with pepsi and coke as a splash on top.

I'm finding very little to gripe about for the price and I haven't been waking up with any lingering effects, now that could be because I cap it about 2 cocktails
It's Friday so 3+ might be on the menu

The bourbon thread 77 pages, the whiskey threads need some viagra, they're weak compared to the number of folks who post in here
Is it that slanted when you compare bourbon vs whiskey drinkers? I love Kentucky whiskey

Bourbon is whiskey.

 

[Ilov80s]

Knob Creek
Bourbon and Rye 113 proof is still getting the job done this week.

I've mixed it w/Red Rock golden ginger ale, delicious
Goes well with pepsi and coke as a splash on top.

I'm finding very little to gripe about for the price and I haven't been waking up with any lingering effects, now that could be because I cap it about 2 cocktails
It's Friday so 3+ might be on the menu

The bourbon thread 77 pages, the whiskey threads need some viagra, they're weak compared to the number of folks who post in here
Is it that slanted when you compare bourbon vs whiskey drinkers? I love Kentucky whiskey

Bourbon is whiskey.

Whiskey is a big group of liquors made from grains. It includes rye, scotch, bourbon, etc. Bourbon has to be US made with more than half corn and aged in a charred oak barrel. The corn and oak give it that sweeter flavor than say a traditional Irish whisky.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

The bourbon thread 77 pages, the whiskey threads need some viagra,

I've only seen this and the Scotch thread since I took an interest in whisk(e)y ~5 years ago, and this one seems to be about more than bourbon and rather about American made whiskies in general, which seems to be inevitable since a lot of the bourbon drinkers here also like rye as well. I believe there has been mention of American Single Malt whiskies here as well.

Anyway, it's on that last comment that I'm posting here with a PSA especially for my fellow DC/MD/VA FGBs:

Some weeks ago, my wife, daughter and I went to Old Ellicott City for their Mardis Gras festival. For the uninitiated, Old Ellicott City is quaint if not hipster bait, with boutiques, restaurants and assorted frivolous touristy goods. Anyway, toward one end of the strip lay The Ellicott Distilling Company bar and distillery. I wasn't able to go in at the time, but today I found myself alone and close to Ellicott City, so I dropped by. The place is about what you'd expect from a converted row house--small, sparse and dimly lit. Undeterred, I sat at the bar and ordered their whiskey flight, consisting of 1 ounce each of their bourbon, rye and single malt. The bourbon and rye both contained corn, rye, wheat and barley and at just 80 proof, my expectations were simply hoping they didn't share the same metallic note I seem to get from most of the local distillers I've tried.

The bourbon and rye both had a sweet note I wasn't expecting, until I remembered that they also make flavored liqueurs and perhaps that flavor lingered in the glass. I tried to ignore the note as best I could and concluded that while neither the bourbon nor the rye had the metallic note, they really didn't make an impression. Then I got to the single malt.

I only have limited experience with American single malts, but they seem to either lean towards dark fruits or coffee/chocolate. The single malt sample I tried today surprisingly reminded me more of 'entry level' scotch like Dewar's or Glenfiddich than the others I've tried, albeit with more oak noticeable than most scotches. Overall, I was duly impressed, especially at 'just' $40 for a 750ml bottle. I picked one up and tried it again tonight, and I'm happy to confirm that it tasted the same in my glass as it did at their place.

While I'm not saying it's a must-have, I will say for a whiskey that you can only get at this little shop in a tourist trap, it's honest, reasonably priced and respectable for a little craft whiskey. With American single malt still trying to figure itself out, this little number belongs in the conversation.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Next stop on my journey: Nelson Bros. Straight Rye Whiskey ($31.99 after $5 coupon at my local Total Wine, 92.5 proof, 64 rye/30 corn/6 barley)

First thoughts: Six months into year 2 of my rye kick, I'm beginning to think I prefer rye over bourbon and scotch. I seem able to tolerate the burn from rye better than from bourbon, for whatever sense that makes, though I'm still very much a fan of bourbon's caramel/brown sugar notes when I find them. Anyway, my search has slowed down a little as I'm going back to the ones I've tried and liked, i.e. Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond, Sagamore Double Oaked as well as Cask Strength, and I even recently finished my 3rd bottle of Old Overholt 114.

I've had Nelson's Greenbriar in the past and remembered having a mostly neutral reaction to it and thinking it was a tad sweet for my liking, but some whiskey tuber that resonates with me had good things to say about their rye, so I thought I'd give it a go.

First sniff: It's not very pungent, though I did pick up baking spice and faint mint.

First taste (before adding water): The 'high corn' mashbill blocks a lot of the traditional rye flavor, and despite the sweetness of the corn, the first taste finished bitter.

Second sniff (after adding 3 drops of water): Smells more like other ryes I've had, specifically the Rittenhouse, despite being a lower proof.

Second taste: Not much different from the first taste, though more bitter on the front and less bitter on the finish.

Knee-jerk reaction: Meh. I don't dislike it and maybe I'll like it more as a second pour of the night.

 

[MrJimiT]

Next stop on my journey: Nelson Bros. Straight Rye Whiskey ($31.99 after $5 coupon at my local Total Wine, 92.5 proof, 64 rye/30 corn/6 barley)

First thoughts: Six months into year 2 of my rye kick, I'm beginning to think I prefer rye over bourbon and scotch. I seem able to tolerate the burn from rye better than from bourbon, for whatever sense that makes, though I'm still very much a fan of bourbon's caramel/brown sugar notes when I find them. Anyway, my search has slowed down a little as I'm going back to the ones I've tried and liked, i.e. Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond, Sagamore Double Oaked as well as Cask Strength, and I even recently finished my 3rd bottle of Old Overholt 114.

I've had Nelson's Greenbriar in the past and remembered having a mostly neutral reaction to it and thinking it was a tad sweet for my liking, but some whiskey tuber that resonates with me had good things to say about their rye, so I thought I'd give it a go.

First sniff: It's not very pungent, though I did pick up baking spice and faint mint.

First taste (before adding water): The 'high corn' mashbill blocks a lot of the traditional rye flavor, and despite the sweetness of the corn, the first taste finished bitter.

Second sniff (after adding 3 drops of water): Smells more like other ryes I've had, specifically the Rittenhouse, despite being a lower proof.

Second taste: Not much different from the first taste, though more bitter on the front and less bitter on the finish.

Knee-jerk reaction: Meh. I don't dislike it and maybe I'll like it more as a second pour of the night.

Hopefully you are enjoying your Rye Whiskey Tour!! I jumped into rye full throttle a couple of years back, but have come to realize that I probably enjoy the finished rye's the most. Case-in-point, if I could EVER find another Sagamore Spirit Sherry Cask again, I might be inclined to buy out the store. I have a suspicion that those are no longer being bottled by Sagamore Spirit. Regardless, I enjoy finished rye's far better than I enjoy finished bourbons.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Next stop on my journey: Nelson Bros. Straight Rye Whiskey ($31.99 after $5 coupon at my local Total Wine, 92.5 proof, 64 rye/30 corn/6 barley)

First thoughts: Six months into year 2 of my rye kick, I'm beginning to think I prefer rye over bourbon and scotch. I seem able to tolerate the burn from rye better than from bourbon, for whatever sense that makes, though I'm still very much a fan of bourbon's caramel/brown sugar notes when I find them. Anyway, my search has slowed down a little as I'm going back to the ones I've tried and liked, i.e. Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond, Sagamore Double Oaked as well as Cask Strength, and I even recently finished my 3rd bottle of Old Overholt 114.

I've had Nelson's Greenbriar in the past and remembered having a mostly neutral reaction to it and thinking it was a tad sweet for my liking, but some whiskey tuber that resonates with me had good things to say about their rye, so I thought I'd give it a go.

First sniff: It's not very pungent, though I did pick up baking spice and faint mint.

First taste (before adding water): The 'high corn' mashbill blocks a lot of the traditional rye flavor, and despite the sweetness of the corn, the first taste finished bitter.

Second sniff (after adding 3 drops of water): Smells more like other ryes I've had, specifically the Rittenhouse, despite being a lower proof.

Second taste: Not much different from the first taste, though more bitter on the front and less bitter on the finish.

Knee-jerk reaction: Meh. I don't dislike it and maybe I'll like it more as a second pour of the night.

Hopefully you are enjoying your Rye Whiskey Tour!! I jumped into rye full throttle a couple of years back, but have come to realize that I probably enjoy the finished rye's the most. Case-in-point, if I could EVER find another Sagamore Spirit Sherry Cask again, I might be inclined to buy out the store. I have a suspicion that those are no longer being bottled by Sagamore Spirit. Regardless, I enjoy finished rye's far better than I enjoy finished bourbons.

I was scared of ryes when I started drinking whiskey ~5 years ago because I conflated the term 'spicy' with tongue-burning spicy. Now I think of it more related to 'baking spice', which I've come to enjoy. The one that was a game-changer for me was Sagamore Cask Strength because it had no bite. Not long after, I visited their distillery for my birthday and tried the double oaked for the first time. Not quite 2 years later, I'm on my 5th bottle of double oaked. I've also heard good things about their Bottled-in-Bond but haven't seen it in stores yet.

I guess it's fair to say I'm more of a rye guy at this point, though I hope to never lose my appreciation for bourbon.

Also, I have no explanation for it, but I seem to tolerate rye better than bourbon, in that 100+ proof bourbon burns me more than 100+ proof rye.

 

[wlwiles]

Got a call from a local store owner that knows I'm a WT/Russell's fan. The 2025 release of Russell's 13 just landed and she set me one to the side. Now I can finally do that side by side with the Russell's 15 I got last year in Texas.

 

[sho nuff]

Got a call from a local store owner that knows I'm a WT/Russell's fan. The 2025 release of Russell's 13 just landed and she set me one to the side. Now I can finally do that side by side with the Russell's 15 I got last year in Texas.

Nice…big fan of RR as a go to.

 

[Terpman22]

I watched my first youtube ever of how to make this stuff.

I will say I need a new hobby and am very intrigued.

Looks/sounds fun to do as long as you are low key about it lol

Anyone ever make their own?

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Time for another stop on the journey: A. Overholt Monongahela Mash Straight Rye Whiskey (95 proof, 80 rye/20 barley, $39.99, Angel's Share Liquors, Crofton, MD)

First thoughts: A scant 14 months ago, I posted here about my first experience with Old Overholt 114; since then, I have finished 3 bottles. I have considered their other offerings, but the next closest in price from the 114 was this, so I'm hopeful. I will also say that while I've only skimmed the surface of the rye pool, I'm noticing rye seems to fall into a couple of categories: variations on the MGP/Ross and Squib 95/5 mash bill that brands like Sagamore and Bulleit have adopted, the mainstream bourbons that simply switch the corn and rye content of their bourbon mash seem to make up the bulk of the more popular ryes, and then the rest cover a variety of permutations of mash bills. Anyway, A. Overholt is the first 80 rye/20 barley/0 corn mash bill I've heard of, so I'm hoping for a variation of the 114.

First sniff: In the time it took me to craft the above paragraph, the aroma opened up from baking spice and rye grain and became sweeter at the same time.

First taste: Bready, baking spice, 'cool' like you expect from rye, no burn and a little bitter like bread that was toasted a little too much. I like it.

Second sniff: Still sweet baking spice. I'm enjoying the aroma as much as the flavor.

Second taste: Pretty much a carbon copy of the first taste, maybe even more like sourdough bread than I first noticed. The sweetness lingers and even the burnt note on the end isn't bad. I like this enough as-is that I'm going to forego trying it with a few drops of water; why fix something that's not broken?

Knee-jerk reaction: This is like other ryes, only more so. This is sweet, baking spice-y and has less burn than similar proof bourbons. I'm convinced that barley plays with rye much better on my palate than corn does, which is also pushing me more onto team rye.