Rye - BourbonSphere

WhistlePig Old World Rye, Aged 12 Years

Tonight we look at the final bottle out of the …

IMAGE: 50mL bottle of WhistlePig Old World Rye, 12 year old.

Tonight we look at the final bottle out of the “Piglets” 3-pack of WhistlePig Canadian Ryes. This one is the oldest of the bunch and the most expensive if you were to buy a full bottle. It is also the lowest proof of the bunch at 86° proof. But even though it is the lowest proof, it is certainly the one that I was most excited to try. I mean, this is a sourced Candian whisky. I love me some Canadian whisky, but I don’t usually like to pay too much of a premium for it. Delicious, 18-year-old whisky from Wiser’s can be had for around $70 and you can get a cask strength version of Alberta Premium at my local corner liquor store for even less.

Coincidentally, way back when WhistlePig first debuted on the scene it was an open secret that the source of their whisky was Alberta Distillers, the same folks that make Alberta Premium (and sell that same juice to a lot of Non-Canadian brands here in the States). No idea if they are still sourcing from Alberta these days, but the point still stands that I can get really good Canadian whisky for a lot less than what WhistlePig is asking.

But getting back to why I found this one more interesting than the others. This one is barrel-finished so it isn’t “just” Canadian whisky. In this case, they used three different types of finishing barrels. Here is what the producer has to say about it:

This whiskey is the marriage of three finishes, each with their own distinctive flavor profiles. After maturing for 12 years in New American Oak, the spirit is divvied into one of three barrels –Madeira (63%), Sauternes (30%) and Port (7%).

Let’s see how it tastes and if my interest was well-placed.

Whistle Pig Old World Rye

Purchase Info: $26.99 for the WhistlePig Rye Whisky Piglets multipack of three 50mL bottles at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN. Retail for a full bottle locally is between $130 and $165.

Price per Drink (50ml): $9.00

Details: Aged 12 years. 43% ABV. Wine Cask finished (63% in Madeira Casks, 30% in Sauternes Casks, and 7% in Port Casks).

Nose: Oak, vanilla, red fruits, and a hint of nutmeg.

Mouth: Soft in the mouth. Notes of red fruit, vanilla, oak, and cedar.

Finish: Warm and on the shorter side of medium length. Fruity with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cedar.

Thoughts: This is pretty tasty. I like it. It's the best one out of the multi-pack. Though, it's not something I'd personally buy. It’s good, it just isn't $130-$165 good. However, it is good enough that I'd have been on board if it were priced at about half that so that it was more in line with the price of Alberta Cask Strength or Wiser’s 18-Year-Old. Of course, if any of you want to buy this for me, I'd happily accept. As it is, I'm happy to have tried it and now I know that not everything WhistlePig releases is subpar, even if everything I’ve tried to this point is way overpriced for sourced Canadian Whisky.

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WhistlePig PiggyBack Rye

Folks, there are no dogs in my home tonight tha…

Folks, there are no dogs in my home tonight that do ordinarily not live here. That means it is a rare date night with my wife tonight so I am going to jump right into this without much back story. Tonight’s whiskey is another one out of the WhistlePig Rye Whiskey Piglets 3-pack. This time is the WhistlePig PiggyBack 100% Rye. Let’s see how it tastes.

WhistlePig Piggyback

Purchase Info: $26.99 for the WhistlePig Rye Whiskey Piglets multipack of three 50mL bottles at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN. Retail for a full bottle locally is around $50.

Price per Drink (50ml): $9.00

Details: 6 years old. 100% Rye. 48.28% ABV.

Nose: Oh. That's spicy. Loads of cinnamon red hot candies. Underneath that are notes of Cedar and butterscotch.

Mouth: Cinnamon, oak, cedar

Finish: Medium length and quite warm. Lingering notes of cinnamon and a sharp cedar note.

IMAGE: Not for me, might be for you. So I give it a meh face.

Thoughts: I'm a little disappointed by this one. When I first nosed it, I was really excited to see where the strong cinnamon candy note would lead us. The flavors in the mouth were good. But the finish really knocks this one down for me. There is a sharp grain alcohol note along with the cedar that reminds me of the finish you'd find in a handle of bottom-shelf Canadian Whisky (think Windsor Canadian circa 2000, which was the last time I've had it…and at the time at least, it was very bad). Not to say this tastes like a bottom-shelf Canadian Whisky. But, the finish isn’t doing it for me. Might be for you if you don’t have that bad association, but it isn't for me. I'm rating this just meh.

Ragtime Rye Applejack Finished Review

Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished pays homage to two early staple spirits of the Northeast, rye whiskey and applejack. There is no hiding the applejack flavors in this rye! Right from the start, I am greeted by apples in multiple forms. However, those flavors blend perfectly with the rye spiciness, both subduing and embracing it. The spice and a bit of a burn that come out in the finish remind me that this is indeed a 100 proof rye. A very apple-ey rye, but a rye for sure!

The post Ragtime Rye Applejack Finished Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Ragtime Rye
New York Straight Rye Whiskey
Applejack Barrel Finished
100 Proof
New York Distilling Company
MSRP $40

Please enjoy my Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished Review!

Who is the New York Distilling Company?

The New York Distilling Company is located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Moreover, it was cofounded by distilled spirits and cocktail expert Allan Katz and co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery, Tom Potter. The New York Distilling Company first opened its doors on December 5, 2011. Their spirits include rye whiskeys and gins.

Why Rye Whiskey and Applejack?

Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished pays homage to two early staple spirits of the Northeast, rye whiskey and applejack. According to the distillery website: “Our Straight Rye Whiskey with secondary barrel finish in a once-used Applejack barrel from Black Dirt Distillery in NY. The result is a rich, mature, bold rye flavor with notes of cherry & vanilla, a round mouthfeel with a gentle aroma and flavor of bright apple. Bottled at 100 Proof and remarkably smooth.”

Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished - Front Label — New York Distilling Company Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished

Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished - Back Label — New York Distilling Company Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished

Tasting Notes – Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Fresh apple cider and baked apples with some spices; caramel, brown sugar & light cedar; hint of spearmint; moderate alcohol
Taste: Sugar syrup, apple, caramel, oak
Finish: Some black pepper spiciness rapidly develops, builds along with some char and dry woodiness, and joins the sweetness, apples and oak; they all then linger together into the fairly long finish; moderate burn

Summary – Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished

There is no hiding the applejack flavors in this rye! Right from the start, I am greeted by apples in multiple forms. However, those flavors blend perfectly with the rye spiciness, both subduing and embracing it. The spice and a bit of a burn that come out in the finish remind me that this is indeed a 100 proof rye. A very apple-ey rye, but a rye for sure!

Have you tried any of the Ragtime Rye releases? What did you think? Cheers!

I hope you enjoyed my Ragtime Rye Applejack Barrel Finished Review! Would you like to read about another finished rye? Check out my Sagamore Spirit Calvados Finish Rye Review!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!

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WhistlePig 10-Year-Old Small Batch Rye Whiskey

So. Depression. It’s something I’ve been strugg…

IMAGE: A 50 ml bottle of WhistlePig 10 year old rye

So. Depression. It’s something I’ve been struggling with lately. I’ve been on depression and anxiety meds for close to a decade now. And most days are great. I’m generally a happy person. But every so often something happens and the familiar spiral of nothingness threatens to rise up and overwhelm me. Thankfully I am medicated, and my dosages are pretty well dialed in at this point, so my bouts don’t last too long. Usually, it’s just an afternoon of listlessness and a lack of motivation to do even the littlest thing. Which, if ignored can go further. Because the worst part of these bouts is that I know that I should be doing the things that need to get done, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it. And then I get upset with myself for not doing what needs to be done. I question my self-worth. It’s like “if you can’t even vacuum the giant ball of hair on the floor when you see it there, why are you even here?” It’s…not fun. And it takes time to get through.

Luckily for me, I have a job that allows for self-care. Sometimes my job even forces it upon me whether I want it or not. As was the case on Tuesday of this week. There is a German Shepard that I watch named Doug. I’ve watched him since he was three months old. Usually, he is overwhelmingly excited. As he was on Tuesday. But as I was feeling that spiral of depression and nothingness start to overwhelm me, he intervened. I was laying on the sofa, trying hard to figure out why I couldn’t just vacuum and do the dishes—spoiler alert: it was a depressive episode, I’m a little slow on the uptake when they start—when he just crawled up and laid on top of me. And he didn't take no for an answer. He noticed that his Uncle Eric wasn’t right even before I did. And that kind of love tripped something that allowed me to start to climb out. I still wasn’t motivated to do anything, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The emotions were on their way back. I’m grateful for Doug.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy. But I do think we need to start normalizing mental illness. So I’m letting you know what happened to me this week. Why I didn’t write anything on my regular day. And who knows, maybe it’ll help someone else if they are in a similar spiral.

But you aren’t here for that, you are here because you saw a photo of a tiny bottle of WhistlePig Rye. so let’s get into it. I’ve never purchased anything from WhistlePig before. And to be honest, I probably won’t again as most of their stuff costs more than I want to pay for sourced Canadian Whisky. But as I was wandering through Total Wine last weekend looking for something that I could write about, I saw this little three-pack of miniature bottles for $27. So while $27 for 150 mL of whiskey is very expensive, it was a lot less expensive than the $85 that a 750 of just one of the bottles would have cost. Plus, I like to reward producers for making these sampler packs. I think they are a great way to experience various whiskeys when you are on a budget.

And I’m always on a budget. I mean, I’m frugal. Just look at the tagline at the top of the page. And in my mind being frugal is different than being cheap because it isn’t that I won’t spend money. I just like to make sure that I’m spending it smartly on things that will be good, interesting, or both. And in this case, I get content for three posts for $27 which is probably less than I’d have spent for content for a single post usually.

So, is WhistlePig Rye good? Or interesting? Is it by chance both? Or neither? Let’s find out.

WhistlePig 10-Year Small Batch Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: $26.99 for the WhistlePig Rye Whiskey Piglets multipack of three 50mL bottles at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN.

Price per Drink (50ml): $9.00

Details: 50% ABV. 10-years-old. Canadian Whiskey, blended and bottled in Vermont.

Nose: Cedar, mint, cherry, and a touch of barbecue smoke.

Mouth: Cedar, mint, cherry, cinnamon, and a hint of dill.

Finish: On the shorter side of medium length and of medium warmth. Spicy with notes of cedar, dill, cherry, and cinnamon.

I like this so it gets a smile. But I wouldn't buy it again.

Thoughts: This is pretty tasty, but I'd never pay the $85 that Total Wine is asking for a bottle. To me, it just isn't $85 good. It was more of a $30 good. It's a fairly unassuming rye whiskey. I'm glad I got to try this in a small bottle. It's not bad, just way too expensive. So final verdict: good, but not interesting.

(and now cue the people who love and covet WhistlePig to leave comments about how I'm just an idiot, and an admittedly crazy one at that, in 3... 2... 1.)

Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Whiskeys

The post Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Whiskeys appeared first on The Bourbon Road.

This week, Jim and Mike hang out with Jesse Parker, Master Blender at Doc Swinson’s out of Washington State. It is always a good day when we get to try some new whiskeys while hanging out with a new friend. Jesse sent us several bottles and over the course of this episode, we will analyze and report our findings about these blended and finished whiskeys. Listen in or read on as we explore Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Whiskeys.

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You all know how much Mike and I love to do in-person interviews and visit the distilleries we have on the show. This time, however, we chose to avoid the $775 in fuel costs to drive the 2300 miles and met online with Jesse for this interview. Maybe sometime in the near future we can make our way to the Seattle area and give them a visit. When we do, you will be sure to hear about it.

We started the show as always with a sip of bourbon and a little background on Doc Swinson’s and how they got started. We opened their Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Triple Cash Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Sherry and Cognac Casks. That’s a lot of words! Well, get used to it because their craft of blending different Mashbills, finishing casks and blending techniques can get quite involved. But, you know that Mike and I love to see all that info making it to the label.

While sipping on the Triple Cask, Jesse filled us in on their journey from blending for restaurant and hotel brands to launching their own label. The team of four, Jesse, Steve, Chris and Keith have built something special. Focusing on the craft of blending and finishing and never allowing a whiskey to go into a bottle without first receiving a dose of Doc Swinson’s craft. They will not bottle anything they haven’t influenced through blending or finishing.

They have a small crew and they do nearly everything in-house including label designs and more. We just listened in, sipping on that beautiful whiskey and noting the complex flavors developed from two separate MGP high rye mashbills and triple cask finishing in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks as well as a Cognac cask. It is really something to enjoy and explore with many layers of flavor, and for about $60 it is a bargain in our opinion.

We rolled through the halftime break still sipping on the Triple Cask bourbon and in the second half opened up the Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Solera Method Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Rum Casks. Another mouthful of words!

Jesse fully explained their Solera process (still not sure I get it) while Mike and I enjoyed a pour of the rum finished rye. This whiskey has a lot going on. Again, we have two separate MGP rye mashbills (51% and 95%) as well as the rum cask finish and solera blending. By the way, they are blending the rum as well using their bourbon casks to finish it. It is hard to imagine keeping track of all the barrels and blends they have going on at one time.

We really enjoyed the blended rye and I would be happy to suggest it to anyone as a great gateway rye. Nice and sweet (not quite candy like), but aged well with the subtle influence of the rum cask finish. One of the things that stood out to me was the spiced pear note that seemed both unique and pleasant. For about $50 this is considered a buy for us as well.

We also sent some samples home with our good friend Bruce Russell and he really liked both the bourbon and rye and added just a little water to the rye. That is high praise coming from someone so solidly planted in the industry. Thanks Bruce for taking the time to check out Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Whiskeys.

We had a genuinely great time with Jesse. He has a world of knowledge and experience when it comes to blending and finishing of whiskeys. There are some NDP’s (non-distilling producers) that simply purchase and bottle without adding much craft. That is not Doc Swinson’s. These guys are at the top of their game and producing some very interesting whiskeys. They are available in over 20 state and have shipping to many more. Make sure you check them out and let them know you heard about them on The Bourbon Road.

Be sure to listen in to our episode on Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Whiskeys listed above and give us a follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Cheers!

Jim Shannon

Doc Swinson’s Website

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Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-in-Bond: Revisited

It has been two thousand, nine hundred and fort…

IMAGE: The front label of Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond above the word "Revisited."

It has been two thousand, nine hundred and forty-one days since I last reviewed Rittenhouse Rye. Just over eight years. At the time, it was being contract-distilled by Brown-Forman as Heaven Hill waited for their distillate to come of age after the distillery fire in the late 1990’s. About 9 months later, I reviewed the Brown-Forman and the Heaven Hill versions side-by-side.

Here are my thoughts from that head-to-head 2015 review:

Thoughts: Meh. This is hot, as is to be expected from a 100 proof whiskey, but the flavor and nose seem sort of muted.

And that’s pretty much my relationship with Rittenhouse. I pick it up occasionally but never seek it out. If I want a rye, I’m looking for one that has more rye in the mash bill. I don’t pick up many of the Kentucky-Style 51% “Barely Legal” ryes these days. If I see a Sazerac Rye, I might just pick it up because it has a pretty bottle but otherwise I have my rye go-tos. Old Forester Rye at about 70% rye is one I really enjoy. New Riff Rye at 95% rye grain in the mash bill is delicious. And heck, an MGP rye always hits the spot.

So let’s take a look at this forgotten rye and see if I’ve been missing anything over the last 7+ years.

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-in-Bond: Revisited

Purchase Info: $23.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.60

Details: 50% ABV. Distilled at D. S.P. KY-1. Bottled at D. S. P. KY-31.

Nose: Mint, caramel, cedar, and a hint of dill.

Mouth: Has a nice zip to it. Notes of mint, cedar, ginger, and caramel.

Finish: Medium length and warmth. Notes of cedar, cinnamon, and mint.

IMAGE: I like this one so it has earned a smile.

Thoughts: Big fan. This has a reputation as a cocktail rye (partially perpetuated by yours truly). But honestly, I like it neat as well. Being a Kentucky-style "Barely Legal" rye, this does taste more like a bourbon than a rye with a higher percentage of rye grain in the mash bill would. But for some people—my wife included—that is a benefit. It's quite tasty.

Well, I know that in the intervening 7 years, my palate has changed drastically. I’ve become a much bigger fan of high-proof/high-burn whiskeys. So this doesn’t feel nearly as warm as it did to me in 2015. But even back then I said I liked it in cocktails. And I still do. But I’ve had a couple pours of this neat since I cracked it open and I like it that way as well. Plus to top it off, it is still under $25.

Good enough to enjoy neat, but inexpensive enough to use in a cocktail. I’ve upgraded this one to a like.

All Things Wild Turkey with Bruce Russell

The post All Things Wild Turkey with Bruce Russell appeared first on The Bourbon Road.

This week, Bruce Russel from https://www.wildturkeybourbon.com/ visited us at Jeptha Bend Farm. As Jim and I chatted with him, I wondered if he felt the pressure of continuing the legacy that his grandfather and father have built. He isn’t the first to be put in this position as, Jim Beam, Makers Mark, Heaven Hill and Angel’s Envy have all had family members take over operations or as a master distiller. Most of them with success of their own. We hope you will enjoy this week’s episode #277, All Things Wild Turkey with Bruce Russell.

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As the conversation carried on I could see that he has the passion it will take to create something all his own at the famous distillery high on the banks of the Kentucky River. If he feels like there is a monkey on his back he sure doesn’t show it. He was as cool as a cucumber. As with those from others distilleries he has been groomed for it and has the side by side distillery training with two of the best in the business. Add to that his time as a brand ambassador and he might even have something that Jimmy and Eddie didn’t have.

What you won’t hear on the podcast were the side conversations we had between the breaks. Bruce has that understanding of what the true consumers of bourbon really want. He has been on the road, sat at the bar with that blue collar worker, shared pours of his families whiskey with people from all walks of life and understands how to market it to the whiskey drinkers that truly appreciate it.

That’s why we love getting on The Bourbon Road or having guest visit us to do in person interviews. You can get a true sense of what a person is all about with these face to face conversations and this visit with Bruce was proof of that. You should be excited about the future of Wild Turkey and hopefully Bruce’s future as a Master Distiller one day. He certainly has the talent, passion and vision to build his own legacy at Wild Turkey as I said before.

So grab that glass, a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 so you can listen as Bruce Russel gets on The Bourbon Road to pay us a visit while sipping on three of amazing Wild Turkey expressions of bourbon whiskey. We hope you enjoy this episode of All Things Wild Turkey with Bruce Russell. Cheers

Mike (Big Chief)

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Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Review

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I have been a huge Wilderness Trail Distillery fan ever since their first bourbon release. A couple of weeks ago I had posted about their new Small Batch Wheated Bourbon, and mentioned some of the changes they have going on, one of which is this new Bottled In Bond Small Batch Rye which is replacing their Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye in their core whiskey line up.

The post Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Wilderness Trail
Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Bottled In Bond
MSRP: $50
Review

Please enjoy my Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye review!

Some Changes With The Wilderness Trail Line

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I have been a huge Wilderness Trail Distillery fan ever since their first bourbon release. A couple of weeks ago I had posted about their new Small Batch Wheated Bourbon. I mentioned some of the changes they have going on, one of which is this new Bottled In Bond Small Batch Rye which is replacing their Settlers Select Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye in their core whiskey line up.

I really enjoy Wilderness Trail’s wheated bourbon and rye at barrel proof, and if you do too, don’t worry. They will still be available, but only through Wilderness Trail’s single barrel program. Their core line up will now be all Bottled In Bond small batch whiskeys – the wheated bourbon, the high rye bourbon and this rye whiskey.

What about this Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye?

So what about this rye? Well, it’s the same mash bill and process as it’s always been: 56% rye, 33% corn, 11% malted barley. They always use a sweet mash and distill in a continuous copper column still. The rye distillate is barreled at 100 or 105 proof in char #4 barrels. This batch is close to 5 years old.

Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Review — Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye

Tasting Notes – Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Citrus, like lemon and tangerines; honey, brown sugar, vanilla, butterscotch, rye spices, cedar, wintergreen; hint of sweet cherry candy and red delicious apples in the background with a light floral note – maybe violets? moderate alcohol
Taste: Citrus, oak, some char, rye bread, anise, caramel, cherry and quite a bit of rye spices, too
Finish: Capsaicin spice builds into the long finish, yet some sweetness, fruit, floral notes and butterscotch linger, too; moderate burn

Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Side Label — Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Review – Side & Back Labels

Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Review - Side Label — Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Review – Side & Back Labels

Summary – Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye Review

I am enjoying this rye, but I have mixed feelings. Here’s the thing: Wilderness Trail’s Barrel Strength Single Barrel Rye is one of my favorite ryes. That extra proof and the uniqueness of each barrel gives it exceptional, full, “in yo’ face” flavors which I just love. The Small Batch has those flavors, although they are a bit more balanced and consequently, subdued. In exchange, there are the noticeable cherry, apple, floral and butterscotch notes which are not as evident in the single barrels that I have had. At a recent tasting, in fact, the Small Batch Bottled In Bond Rye was the fan favorite. So definitely give it a try and see for yourself!

I hope you have enjoyed my Wilderness Trail Small Batch Rye review! Check out some more of my other Wilderness Trail whiskey reviews: Wilderness Trail Small Batch Wheated Bourbon Review, Wilderness Trail Settlers Select Rye Review and Wilderness Trail 6 Year Old Bourbon Review.

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Old Hillside Rye Review

The Last Rye’d Straight Rye Whiskey honors the history of the black jockey. An overlooked part of the early days of horse racing is the role of the black jockey. It was a pretty dominant one which unfortunately fairly abruptly came to an end due to some societal changes that took over the industry around the turn of the century.

The post Old Hillside Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Old Hillside
Straight Rye Whiskey
“The Last Rye’d”
4 yr
104 proof
Barrel Name: Alonzo Clayton
Old Hillside Bourbon Company
~$50
Review

Please enjoy my Old Hillside Rye Review!

The Old Hillside Bourbon Company

The Old Hillside Bourbon Company was started by a group of friends, most alumni of Hillside High School in Durham, NC. Just like their own story, the brand is based on history, heritage and homage to those that came before them. All of those qualities are exemplified in this rye.

Honoring The Black Jockey

The Old Hillside Last Rye’d Straight Rye Whiskey honors the history of the black jockey. An overlooked part of the early days of horse racing is the role of the black jockey. It was a pretty dominant one which unfortunately fairly abruptly came to an end due to some societal changes that took over the industry around the turn of the century. The escalation of Jim Crowe laws and segregation pretty much put an end to the black jockey. After winning more than half of the first 25 runnings of the Kentucky Derby, the black jockey virtually disappeared from the sport. It wasn’t again until the year 2000 when Marlon St. Julien would be the first black jockey to ride in the Derby since 1921!

Each bottle of Old Hillside Rye Whiskey plays tribute to one of four black jockeys: Isaac Murphy, Alonzo Clayton, Oliver Lewis and Soup Perkins. My particular bottle is from the Alonzo Clayton barrel. Alonzo Clayton holds the record as the youngest jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby at the age of 15 in 1892, a year or so after he began his professional riding career. He had a very successful early career, but it seemed to fairly abruptly come to an end around 1901 due to a variety of circumstances, and he wound up living his last few years in California. He lived from 1876-1917.

Old Hillside Rye Review - Front Label — Front Label

Old Hillside Rye Review - Alonzo Clayton barrel — Front Label

Tasting Notes – Old Hillside Rye Review

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Licorice, citrus like lemon zest and oranges, baking spices, rye seeds, mild honey, hint of Graham crackers, anise and honeydew melon; moderate alcohol
Taste: Starts off soft, with soft rye bread and light honey sweetness; rye spices, a hint of ginger and spearmint, citrus and black pepper spiciness rapidly follow and grow…
Finish: …and continue into the finish where there is black pepper, orange citrus, light honey and some barrel char lingering into the fairly long finish with a moderate burn.

Summary – Old Hillside Rye Review

Old Hillside Rye is a very pleasant rye. It’s distilled in Indiana, so presumably MGP. It certainly has some familiar spice and heat towards the end, but the flavors are a bit softer up front. The fresh citrus zest is noticeable throughout, even into the finish. The flavors are complex and come and go from the forefront as I drink my glass. Graham cracker becomes more noticeable as I grow more accustomed to the spice and heat. Likewise with the rye bread, anise and melon.

Have you had Old Hillside’s Rye or Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!

I hope you have enjoyed my Old Hillside Rye Review!

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Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye Review

This particular rye is to celebrate PawPaw, grandfather of current master distiller and owner Royce Neeley. PawPaw is also a distiller, and got his start “back in the day” in Eastern Kentucky. This rye was distilled and barreled on PawPaw’s 77th birthday and bottled and sold to celebrate his 79th birthday, this past May 16th, 2022. PawPaw’s Birthday barrel was sold in 750ml bottles; the regular release is also a single barrel and comes packaged in 375ml bottles also at barrel strength.

The post Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Neeley Family Distillery
PawPaw’s Birthday Barrel
Sweet Thumped Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
104 Proof
$79/750ml
($39.99/375ml)

Please enjoy my Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye review!

Who Is This Neeley Family Distillery?

Well, I’ve posted and written about the Neeley Family Distillery before, but this time they’ve done something else really cool! So, as you may or may not know, Neeley Family isn’t just a cute name they thought up to sell some whiskey. The distillery is actually owned and operated by the Neeley Family, and the family itself has a long and very interesting distilling history that goes way, way back 11 generations to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

Who Is PawPaw?

Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye Review - Front Label — Neeley Family Distillery Sweet Thumped Rye Review

Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye Review - Back Label — Neeley Family Distillery Sweet Thumped Rye Review

Not An Ordinary Rye

However, this is no ordinary rye, not that any whiskey Royce makes at the Neeley Family Distillery can be considered ordinary. This rye is made from a sweet mash utilizing 65% rye, goes in the barrel at 105 proof and is aged 2 years in char 2 Kelvin Cooperage. But what makes it really unique is what takes place in the “thumper” during distillation. A thumper is something like a doubler, giving the distillate a little more finishing at the end of distillation just before it heads off to the barrel. However in this case, the last thumper contains a rye mash, imparting some final sweet rye flavors to the whiskey.

Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye Review - Signed

Tasting Notes for Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Sweet, with dried apricot, brown sugar syrup & caramel; a bit of graininess, rye spices and oak in the back, followed by fresh rye bread; noticeable alcohol
Taste: Sweet with a syrupy mouthfeel, but there is also some dryness and oak, with char and rye spices, some sweet dried apricot followed by rye bread
Finish: Rye bread lingers, char and white pepper grow into the long finish with a moderate burn

The nose of this Neely Family Distillery Sweet Thumped Rye is different from any other rye that I have had. There’s a syrupy sweetness and what I can best identify as sweet dried apricots. Once I am acclimated to those forward flavors, I notice some oak and rye spices in the background and way in the back is the subtle scent of fresh rye bread. The taste has similar flavors, although some dryness spice, oak and char become more evident. The flavors linger into the finish where more black pepper spice builds. With each sip, as I get acclimated to those stronger flavors, the fresh rye bread becomes more noticeable.

Neeley Family Distillery Sweet Thumped Rye Cap

Summary

I am assuming that some of the flavors, particularly in the nose, are the result of the rye mash in the last thumper. It would certainly be interesting to compare this rye to a version that was identical in every way other than that last step. Maybe I’ll be able to do that some day, but for now I will just relax and enjoy this Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye!

I hope you have enjoyed my Neeley Sweet Thumped Rye review! Have you had any of Neeley Family Distillery’s whiskeys, moonshine or absinthe? If you would like to learn more about them, check out my Neeley Family Distillery Review . To read about a unique Neeley bourbon, go to my Neeley Family Distillery Bourbon – 8 Year Seasoned Barrel Review! You can also check out the Neeley Family Distillery Website to hear from the Neeley family themselves!

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