Once a year the Malt Nuts change our name and swing our focus to America. Earlier this year the Corn Nuts reemerged with our eyes on Rye. These events tend to be a bit nutty, pun intended, because of the scope we try to cover in our once-a-year departure from single malts is usually a bit daunting.
Like always the bottles were blinded and broken down into rounds. But before we get into the rounds, I want to cover off on some of the basics of rye whiskey we went over that night.
For a whiskey to be called a rye whiskey it needs to be made from at least 51% rye grain, aged in a charred new oak container (barrel), distilled to no higher than 160 proof and put into the barrel no higher than 125 proof. Unlike bourbon, it can be made anywhere in the world but like bourbon, it must be aged at least 2 years to be called Straight and must be at least 4 years to be called Straight and not require an age statement.
As usual, it was all done in bling rounds with the reveal at the end. The Corn Nuts: Rye Whiskey Tasting rounds ended up being broken down like this.
- Round 1: Misc Rye Whiskey
- Round 2: Willett Ryes
- Round 3: High West Single Cask Picks
- Round 4: Heaven Hill Rye with a MGP contrast
- Round 5: Old Portrero single cask face off
It was a great lineup with infinite variations of comparing and contrasting opportunities; just the way we like it.
Round 1: Misc Rye Whiskey
1A: Barrell Rye 5 years: 58.75%
- Nose: Spice, herbal, cocoa, caramel, oak and dill.
- Palate: Dilly, soapy, oaky and herbally spiced.
- Finish: Long -> Dilly, spicy and woody.
- Overall: (3.5/5) Good warm spicy rye, comes through a tad young but not in a bad way.
1B: Bender’s Char 5 Rye: 60.07% – Rye and Corn Whiskey finished in a Char 5 barrel
- Nose: Woody, cereally, dried fruit and Twizzlers.
- Palate: Woody, cafty and cocoa.
- Finish: Med -> woody and light cocoa.
- Overall: (2/5) Just tastes like some kind of young rye mess.
1C: Single Cask Nation Catoctin Creek Rye 2 years: 61.55% – finished in white wine cask
- Nose: Grain, oak, caramel, oak and sugary sweetness.
- Palate: Syrupy, corn and sweet and buttery.
- Finish: Medium -> Sweetly cloying.
- Overall: (2/5) Has to be some kind of a weird wine finish happening here. Has a metallic “sweat” note I’m not enjoying.
1D: Lock Stock and Barrel Rye 13 years: 50.15%
- Nose: Caramel, spice, leather, oak and Sunkist fruit candies.
- Palate: Caramel, spice, leather, oak and Sunkist fruit candies.
- Finish: Med -> Spice, oak and caramel.
- Overall: (3.5/5) This is really enjoyable. It’s bold and tasty.
1E: Redemption Rye 10 years: 58.1%
- Nose: Sunkist fruit candy, spice, oak, orchard fruit, dill and clove.
- Palate: Soapy, cocoa, cinnamon, and herbal.
- Finish: Med -> Soap and cocoa.
- Overall: (3/5) The longer this one sits the more dry and tannic it gets and a bit leathery. Weird soapy nature fades a bit with water, but not much.
1F: Russell’s Reserve Rye 6 years: 52%
- Nose: Twizzlers, caramel, oak, cinnamon and menthol.
- Palate: Twizzlers, caramel, oak, citrus, cinnamon, menthol and spice.
- Finish: Medium -> Sweet and spicy.
- Overall: (3/5) Sweet and soft and kinda boring, but not bad.
1G: Redemption Rye 7 years: 61.3%
- Nose: Caramel, spice, vanilla, dark fruit, oak and leather.
- Palate: Dill, spice, dark sweets, vanilla, oak, dark fruit, leather and red licorice.
- Finish: Long -> spice, oak, leather and dark sweets.
- Overall: (3.5/5) Nice… quite nice. I’m digging it.
Round 2: Willett Ryes
2A: Willett Rye 4 years: 55%
- Nose: Perfumy, dilly, spicy and oaky with come cocoa and citrus.
- Palate: Floral, dilly, woody, spicy and bits of coco and citrus.
- Finish: Long -> Spice, cocoa and orange candy,
- Overall: (3.5/5) A decent sweet rye with some spicy hints.
2B: Willett Rye 4 years: 55.4%
- Nose: Oaky, dilly, spicy, nuts and cocoa with some citrus.
- Palate: Oaky, cocoa, dill, spice, and some citrus.
- Finish: Med -> Warm and spicy.
- Overall: (3.5/5) Nice, this is a whiskey worth taking an extra minute with. It’s not super complex, but it’s warm and inviting.
2C: Willett Rye 4 years: 55%
- Nose: Truffles, oak, dill, spice, cocoa, leather, dark fruit and char.
- Palate: Cocoa, oak, char, spice, leather, pepper, dark fruit and truffles.
- Finish: Long -> Oak, spice, dark fruit and leather.
- Overall: (4/5) Nice! This one came out of left field and just took my senses by storm. This is really nice rye.
Round 3: High West Single Cask Picks
3A: High West Double Rye (16 yo Barton + Young MGP): 49.5% – 10 mo finish in ex-Pinot Noir Casks
- Nose: Dill, sweetness, oak and dried dark fruit.
- Palate: Dill, caramel, oak, dried dark fruit, citrus.
- Finish: Long -> Sweet and spicy and a touch oaky.
- Overall: (4/5) This is damn fine rye. It has a depth and heaviness to it that feels old, but a bright spicy fruity kick that’s balancing and enticing. Loving it!
3A: High West Double Rye (16 yo Barton + Young MGP): 53.6% – 2 yo finish in ex-Barreled Boulivardier Cask
- Nose: Grapey sweet and herbal with a floral soapy note and some brown sugar.
- Palate: Just like the aroma but even sweeter (brown sugar) and more floral.
- Finish: Med -> Raw grain, cloying brown sugar sweetness.
- Overall: (1/5) Goddam, this is terrible. Overly sweet with dill notes that just don’t work. It makes me think of the time one of my relatives put olives and pickles in the red Jello they brought to the family reunion.
Round 4: Heaven Hill Rye with an MGP contrast
4A: Rittenhouse Rye Bonded: 50%
- Nose: Sugary, clove, honey, butterscotch and corn.
- Palate: Sugary, clove, honey, butterscotch and corn.
- Finish: Short -> Sweet and spicy.
- Overall: (2.5/5) It’s not horrible, but I’m not caring much for it either. It’s kinda weak and watery.
4B: Rittenhouse Rye 3 years (Brown-Forman distilled): 40%
- Nose: Caramel, rye, spice, oak, candy-sweet and corn.
- Palate: Caramel, rye, spice, oak, candy-sweet and corn with a touch of clay.
- Finish: Short -> Sweet and spicy.
- Overall: (2.5/5) Weak, light and watery. It’s just not that good.
4C: James E Pepper 1776 Rye 3 years: 57.8%
- Nose: Oak, dill, clove, leather, char, nuts, dark fruit and some menthol and citronella.
- Palate: Oak, dill, clove, leather, char, nuts, dark fruit and menthol with some pops of citrus.
- Finish: Long -> Oak, spice and dark fruit.
- Overall: (4.5/5) I’m really enjoying this one. Heck, it might be my favorite right behind 2C. If we didn’t have so many to get through I’d definitely do a side-by-side taste-off. But at the moment that’s looking tough.
4D: Pikesville Rye 7 years: 55%
- Nose: Oak, char, nuts, cocoa, dark fruit and grainy sweetness.
- Palate: Oak, acetone, nuts, cocoa, spice and dark fruit.
- Finish: Medium-long -> Spice, dark fruit and nuts.
- Overall: (4/5) I’m digging this right now. It’s hitting the right level of everything and is quite pleasant.
Round 5: Old Portrero single cask face-off
5A: Old Portrero Single Malt Rye: 61.57%
- Nose: Copper, cocoa, char and spice with bits of nuts and brownies.
- Palate: Candy, pot brownies, char, clove, copper and nuts.
- Finish: Long -> Candy sweetness and pot brownies.
- Overall: (3.5/5) Did someone slip in a Charbay? It’s not quite as marijuana-like as Charbay, but it has an essence to it that makes me think of it. A hopped rye maybe? This is interesting.
5B: Old Portrero Single Malt Rye: 61.96%
- Nose: Copper, vanilla, char, oak, pot brownies, Luxardo cherries and brown sugar.
- Palate: Oak, copper, butterscotch, pot brownies, Luxardo and clove heavy baking spice.
- Finish: Long -> Pot brownies, spice and copper.
- Overall: (4/5) I’m liking this one, that marijuana note has calmed down and I’m getting a nice coppery sweetness to pair with its “herbal” nature. Digging it.
Whew, that was a hell of a tasting. I’m exhausted and half-drunk just from reliving it just now. What do you think? Seem like a kind of tasting you’d like to go to?
Till the next one, cheers!
