I opened it immediately upon receipt and found it coiled up like a snake and needing to unwind before showing much of the character that would come with a bit of some space in the bottle. Several weeks later, it delivered.
This is rye whiskey that speaks beyond corn’s common caramel coating with a voice that goes deeper, all the way into the soil itself, to tell its own story, a story I find utterly intriguing because it reveals itself through taking new sips to turn a new page in the tale.
The nose is grain and barrel forward; the former light, citrusy, spicy and a little candied; the latter toasty and lightly charred with some smoldering campfire. It’s really pleasant to sniff and suss out new aromas.
How does Green River Rye Whiskey compare to Bulleit Rye and Wild Turkey Rye 101? Check out our comparison video to find out.
Green River Rye offers a different flavor journey compared to its peers. Its sweeter profile and milder peppery taste make it more accessible, potentially appealing to a broader audience, including those who might find other rye whiskeys too intense.
A quick whiff of the nose, and there’s no denying this is a rye whiskey reporting for duty. It has all the classic hallmarks of a high rye mash bill rye whiskey from MGP–candied fruit, bright rye spice, caramel and juicy fruit.
A single sip shows off its super-soft mouthfeel, and as always, this whiskey is precision balanced with no single flavor rushing to the fore. Soon enough, though, toasted oak emerges arm and arm with candied cherry, sugar maple candy and graham cracker.
Michter’s actually started the whole toasted finish craze back in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the first toasted rye came along. With this latest release, Michter’s has kept to three-year intervals (the second release hit shelves in 2020).
The rye spice launches like a honey-lemon toddy upfront before exploding like fireworks on the back palate. In it’s wake is a trail of spice, demerara syrup and honey all the way down the throat.
Hemingway Whiskey’s Signature Rye is a delicious pour that gives us an exciting glimpse into the future of 95/5 rye whiskey. A future that doesn’t solely rely on the work of a single distillery.
