Peerless Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey Review

I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about the Peerless Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey. But to be honest, the $110-$140 price tag for a 2-year-old whiskey has been scaring me off. I mean, c’mon… really? Is something that young REALLY that good? I can get a 4-year-old New Riff Bottled In Bond Rye for about $50 and it’s awesome whiskey.

Peerless Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey

Naturally, I was going to have a bit of prejudice and a bit of buyer’s bias as I paid $35 for this 200ml of Peerless rye. So I did what anyone in this situation should do. I had a friend pour a blind lineup of 4 ryes so I could taste and note without knowing exactly which rye I was rating.

The four whiskeys used in this lineup were the New Riff Rye, Pikesville Rye, Tom’s Foolery Cask Strength Rye and this. The result is the rye whiskey review we’re going to jump into right…. now.

Peerless Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey Review: Details and Tasting Notes

In Peerless Distilling’s Words:

Peerless Straight Rye Whiskey is a well balanced Rye, bolstered by sweet tones of maple, brown sugar and light citrus sweetness. Finish with a hint of oak & no burn on the throat. Due to our carefully unique distilling process, Peerless offers a smooth taste that differs from many other Ryes. Peerless Rye is a palatable sipping Rye to be savored with friends and family.

Peerless Rye Whiskey Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)

Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
Mash Bill: At least 51% Rye, Corn and Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 2 Years
ABV: 54.05%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Price: $110 (750 ml)

Tasting Notes

EYE
Copper

NOSE
Juicy orchard fruit (apple heavy), baking spice, copper, rye bread, honey, nuts and some vanilla… a tad yeasty.

PALATE
Spice, wood, copper, apple juice, honey, rye bread, copper and herbal notes.

FINISH
Medium -> Oily, woody, apple juice and clove.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good balance, full-body and starts oily but fades out dry.

It’s good but not great and I’m excited to see what they pit out in the future when their stock has had time to further mature.

Peerless Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey Review: Overall and Score

Surprisingly good for its youth. The Aroma is good, simple, clean and aromatic — I like the pure rye essence I’m getting here; Palate is, again, good simple clean and “better than basic”, but only by a hair and loses a step from the aroma; Finish is softer and sweeter than you might imagine and ends up being kinda weak and light.

Peerless Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey is a nice easy rye at full cask strength. It’s fruity, like you’d expect young rye to be, but it’s also clean and light which is not something you’d expect from a rye that clocks in at 108 proof. It does carry some of that “craft wood” profile that’s more woody than oaky and it lacks the depth of things like the New Riff. But I have to admit, for a 2-year-old rye whiskey… damn.

SCORE: 3.5/5

Peerless Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey Review