A spicy rye expression with some really wild flavours but quite enjoyable once it relaxes in the glass a little. 83/100
Toni…
Tonight’s whiskey, a store pick of Stellum Single Barrel Rye, is the lone remaining Stellum release that we haven’t covered yet. We’d done the regular Stellum Bourbon and Rye, the Stellum Black Bourbon and Rye and the Stellum Single Barrel Bourbon previously so it’s probably time to finish out the lineup. This particular bottle is from the “Serpens” release of single barrels. The Serpens barrels were selected in Spring and Summer 2021 and have a mash bill of 95% Rye, 5% malted Barley.
We’ve covered Stellum brand story previously, but the brief version of the brand is that it is created by the same folks that produce the Barrell line of whiskies. Like that brand, Stellum is sourced from multiple distilleries in multiple states and then blended to make a unique product. Seeing how this bottle is a single barrel, it is labeled as having been distilled in Indiana. Based on that and the mash bill, we can probably make an assumption as to which very large distillery it came from.
So let’s see how it tastes.
Purchase Info: $50 for a 750 mL bottle at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33
Details: 58.31% ABV. Selections made in the Spring and Summer of 2021. Mash bill: 95% Rye, 5% Barley Malt. Distilled in Indiana.
Nose: Mint, cedar, cherry, butterscotch, molasses, and ginger.
Mouth: Rich and spicy with notes of cinnamon, molasses, ginger, cedar, and mint.
Finish: Long and warm. Big-time notes of cedar, mint, and cinnamon.
Thoughts: This is the store pick so good that I made the hour roundtrip drive to Ace Spirits twice in order to procure a second bottle of it. Probably should have grabbed two the second time, but what are you going to do? I've liked everything I've had out of the Stellum line-up and this is no exception. Very happy with this one. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it is a cask-strength bottle of MGP 95% Rye. And as that is my favorite whiskey on the planet, I might be just a little biased.
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I’d like to thank ByrnePR and the Ross & Squib Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
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I’d like to thank ByrnePR and the Ross & Squib Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
Image elements courtesy Ross & Squibb Distillery.
Tonight is the NFL Draft. And while I only sort of follow NFL football, I am a college football diehard. And this is one event that cements the two together. And I love it. I used to watch the entire weekend way back when it was just Saturday and Sunday. I love it because I get to see the culmination of many of the storylines that ESPN has force-fed to us over the last few years on their college football shows. Whether it proves those stories correct or incorrect is part of what I find interesting. Team X decided to go with somebody from North Dakota State instead of an SEC or Big Ten powerhouse? Which paid shill is going to throw the biggest fit over that? The unintended drama is fun. Plus I like seeing kids have all their dreams come true.
And yes, I’m old enough that I refer to kids in their mid-20s as “kids.”
And what does that have to do with tonight’s whiskey? Well, for the longest time, MGP (now branded as Ross & Squibb) was a powerhouse in American Whiskey much like North Dakota State is a powerhouse in college football. There is no argument that they dominate their competition, but you’d have to be a pretty knowledgeable fan to know about it.
MGP supplied whiskey for the biggest rye brands in the country. Think Diageo’s Bulleit rye as an example. But they didn’t get much credit for that outside of hardcore fans. Mostly because no one wanted to tell anyone that what was in the bottle was purchased from a distillery in Indiana. These days that is changing as Ross & Squibb have their own brands that they produce. One of which is Rossville Union Rye.
Rossville Union is a rye that I find on the shelves quite often. I also see a lot of store picks of it as well. They tend to be very delicious. I pick them up quite often. There is a Barrel Proof offering that I really like but seldom see. And that’s because I recently learned that it is released annually as a limited edition product. (It’s probably good that I didn’t know that, or I’d have spent a lot more money on Rossville Union seeing as I would actually be purchasing those bottles when I saw them instead of saying “next time.”)
18,000 bottles were produced this year from a batch of 82 barrels. The final proof is 117.2° proof, it is age stated at 7 years old, and it retails for a suggested price of $69.99. Let’s see how it tastes.
Purchase Info: This sample bottle was sent to me by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67
Details: 58.6% ABV. 7 years old.
Nose: Herbal mint, cinnamon candies, cedar, and oak
Mouth: Hot, spicy, and sweet. Notes of herbal mint, cinnamon, cedar, vanilla, and hints of dark chocolate.
Finish: Long and warm. Notes of cinnamon candies, cedar, and mint.
Thoughts: This is delicious. So much so that, should I see them and if the store allows, I will be a jerk and buy two. Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof is just a deliciously-spicy rye that has enough age to notice but not so much that it takes over. I freakin’ love this one.
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Starlino Rye is the first release of Rabbit Hole’s Distillery Series. According to Rabbit Hole, the Distillery Series “will deliver a collection of extraordinary spirits that push the boundaries of craft and creativity.” As the name implies, Rabbit Hole’s Distillery Series will be available at the distillery, but also at select retailers.
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Please enjoy my Rabbit Hole Starlino Rye Review!
Starlino Rye is the first release of Rabbit Hole’s Distillery Series. According to Rabbit Hole, the Distillery Series “will deliver a collection of extraordinary spirits that push the boundaries of craft and creativity.” As the name implies, Rabbit Hole’s Distillery Series will be available at the distillery, but also at select retailers.
Hotel Starlino Rosso Vermouth is made by the Torino Distillati, just outside of Turin, Italy. It is a traditional red vermouth that is finished for 30 days in used Kentucky bourbon barrels. Once emptied, some of these vermouth infused bourbon barrels were shipped across the pond to Rabbit Hole Distillery where they were then used to finish this rye. Rumor has it that the rye spends 6 months in the Starlino Vermouth barrels before bottling.
The Starlino Rye is packaged in 375ml bottles, at cask strength. Only 2112 bottles are available. One thing that is not being publicized about this rye is that it is the first whiskey that has been released that was distilled entirely at Rabbit Hole’s distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. So that pretty cool, too!
Let’s taste it:
Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn
Nose: Rye spices, vermouth, pear, oak, pine & brown sugar; lightly burnt caramel; faint hint of wintergreen; moderate alcoholTaste: Rye spices, vermouth, light honey sweetness, oak, black licoriceFinish: Spice builds, and is rapidly joined by noticeable black pepper. Oak and light barrel char linger. The heat continues into a long dry finish with a moderate burn
The Hotel Starlino Vermouth is a great compliment to this cask strength Rabbit Hole Rye. The vermouth blends so well with the rye spices. In addition, there is a background of rich flavors. Make no mistake, though; the Starlino Vermouth and Rabbit Hole Rye create quite the spicy combo. While there is some brown sugar, fruit and honey sweetness up front, later on the spice and heat steal the show.
This rye has been likened to a Manhattan, and of course the similarities are there. However, Starlino Rye is quite different to me. The dominant flavors that have been extracted from the vermouth are the spices, so the background of dark winey sweetness that I usually associate with a Manhattan is not present in this. Having said that, I have never had Hotel Starlino Rosso Vermouth, let alone a Rabbit Hole Rye – Starlino Vermouth Manhattan. So, for all I know, this may be exactly what that tastes like!
Don’t get me wrong. I really like this rye. It has flavors that I really enjoy, and I am a big fan of spice. Have you tried the Starlino Rye (or vermouth, for that matter)? What did you think? Cheers!
I hope you have enjoyed my Rabbit Hole Starlino Rye Review! Would you like to learn more about Rabbit Hole’s Whiskeys? Check out our summary of the Rabbit Hole’s Main Bourbon and Rye lineup. Also, check out our Rabbit Hole Distillery Tour Review to learn more about the distillery itself!
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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For the past couple of weeks our attention has been focused in and around Castle & Key Distillery. It’s understandable with the release of their batch one bourbon this past week, as well as them being right down the road from us. This historical distillery is something that will simply amaze you and we
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For the past couple of weeks our attention has been focused in and around Castle & Key Distillery. It’s understandable with the release of their batch one bourbon this past week, as well as them being right down the road from us. This historical distillery is something that will simply amaze you and we have been patently waiting for them to come of age. They have taken care to preserve the grounds with its old world charm and bourbon history. Working in and around the past certainly has its challenges like the bottling line building collapsing or even putting a gift shop in the old boiler room. The attention to detail is stunning.
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Just strolling through the grounds will give you a sense of what Colonel E.H. Taylor was thinking. All world class destination in the small Kentucky town of Millville. Sunken gardens, botanical gardens, water flowing over the dam of Glen’s Creek and a cocktail bar with amazing drinks with spirits made right on sight. Can this place get any better? Well if they have it their way the folks from Castle and Key will surely try. They are wholeheartedly focused on hospitality and it shows from the time you show up. Bringing this distillery back to life had to be a labor of love. The parking lot is massive, but is not out of the way like some distilleries. As you take the short walk to the distillery gaze at the top of the castle and you will see them flying Old Glory with the POW/MIA flag right below it.
Now that’s a welcome sight. Honoring those veterans that scarified all and those that had to endure much to protect our freedoms and way of life is not lost on us nor the team at Castle and Key. Brett Conners even explained that they go out of their way to hire Veterans for their work ethic and loyalty. As you cross the road and walk into the gate there is always someone from the staff to help guide you. Either to your tour, the bar or the gift shop. Its simple acts like this that will make you want to stay, sit out by springhouse and enjoy a drink or walk the trails. Browse the gift shop and purchase something to take home. This place is a must for any pilgrimage to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. For us it’s the most beautiful distillery in Kentucky.
Make sure to book your tours for Castle and Key here https://app.anyroad.com/carolineb and let them know The Bourbon Road Podcast sent you. After your tour head on over to The Stave for lunch or dinner and we would recommend reservations. The Kentucky-style cuisine will have have you saying bless your heart in no time. After your visit to the Stave and just a short drive through some of the most beautiful horse farms you will ever see is something you can’t leave Kentucky without. Rebecca Ruth Candies is a must with their Rebecca Ruth Bourbon Ball Chocolate Candy. Trust us when we say that they are something that are hard to say no to.
Well, until your visit to Kentucky make sure to give our latest podcast episode a listen. Grab that glass, a bottle of their whiskey if you can find it and listen as Jim and I take another trip down The Bourbon Road with Brett Conners the Whiskey Wizard. This episode is packed with history and some future releases to come from C&K.
Cheers!
Mike (Big Chief)
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Woody but so drinkable, I hadn’t appreciated when sampling this that it wasn’t all 20 years old! Some soft floral notes but this is mostly wood and dried herbs and fruits with a generous nutty and chocolate component too, superb! 86/100
Another rich and cereal led expression as I’ve come to expect from TOAD’s Rye expressions. This is up there with the best of them (possibly Batch 1). The cask combination delivers ginger beer and jammy black fruits and of course that superb colour. I’m…
Have you experienced any whiskey from Australia? Thanks to our good friend and podcast listener James Ewin, we were lucky enough to get our hands on a bottle of The Gospel Whiskey. This rye whiskey is distilled and bottled in Melbourne Australia and is 100% Australian grown rye from a single farm in the Murray
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Have you experienced any whiskey from Australia?
Thanks to our good friend and podcast listener James Ewin, we were lucky enough to get our hands on a bottle of The Gospel Whiskey.
This rye whiskey is distilled and bottled in Melbourne Australia and is 100% Australian grown rye from a single farm in the Murray Mallee region of South Australia that embodies the characteristics of traditional rye whiskey while having a nuance that is distinctly Australian.
We hope you enjoy Jim and Mike’s review. To hear more, check out the podcast on your favorite platform. Cheers!
Vital Stats: It has a 100% un-malted rye mash bill that has been aged two years in new American oak barrels and is 90 proof. It has an MSRP of $50 and can be found in 29 states.
Appearance: Beautiful square green glass that almost is calling to us with a caramel rye whiskey inside.
Nose: Spiced gum drops, citrus with caramel sweetness
Palate: Wow, the nose was spot on with this one. Spiced gum drops and citrus wash over the palate with little to no spice. A little fruit cake or candied fruit sweetness that just coats the mouth. A little drying on the back end.
Finish: Medium finish with no hug.
Overall: This is a buy all day long with both of us wanting to keep this bottle. If you’re looking to have whiskey’s from around the world on your shelf then then this green bottle is must. An expression that represents Australia beautifully.
The post The Gospel Whiskey – Rye Whiskey Review appeared first on The Bourbon Road.
The Midway Distilling Company represents a new line of finished rye whiskeys from Bluegrass Distillers. The rye itself is distilled by none other than MPG of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. That’s not bad at all, since we know MGP makes a great rye. In fact, the rye whiskey used is the good ‘ol 95/5 rye (that’s 95% rye, 5% malted barley); MGP’s hallmark. The rye is aged 4 years, and is then finished at Bluegrass Distillers, in Lexington, KY, in a variety of different barrels.
The post Midway Distilling Rum Finished Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .
Please enjoy my Midway Distilling Rum Finished Rye Review!
The Midway Distilling Company represents a new line of finished rye whiskeys from Bluegrass Distillers. The rye itself is distilled by none other than MPG of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. That’s not bad at all, since we know MGP makes a great rye. In fact, the rye whiskey used is the good ‘ol 95/5 rye (that’s 95% rye, 5% malted barley); MGP’s hallmark. The rye is aged 4 years, and is then finished at Bluegrass Distillers, in Lexington, KY, in a variety of different barrels.
You might be wondering how the folks at Bluegrass Distillers arrived at the name Midway Distilling for their new line of finished ryes. It turns out that Bluegrass Distillers has outgrown its home on West Sixth St in Lexington, and is in the process of building a new distillery in the town of Midway, Kentucky. Building on an historic property themselves, they were quick to embrace the history of the town. For a brief time, the Midway Distilling Company operated in Midway Kentucky, from 1916-1920 and then burned down in 1924.
Let’s taste Midway Distilling Rum Finished Rye:
Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn
Nose: Fairly soft, with apple, light raisin, caramel, baking spices, subtle butter & brown sugar; moderate alcoholTaste: Rum, maybe some buttered rum, too; brown sugar sweetness, caramel, raisin & baking spicesFinish: Some spiciness develops and oak and barrel char make themselves known. Moderately long finish; moderate burn.
I have tried this rye 3 times now, and I really enjoy it. The rum barrels have a very interesting effect on the MGP rye. It is surprising how the fairly strong spiciness associated with the 95/5 rye is subdued by the rum. But don’t get me wrong; the rum is not at all overpowering. The relatively short finishing time that was used allows for just the right amount of rum flavors to come through. The flavors are very complimentary to, and balanced with the rye, which in my opinion is how finishing should be done.
I hope you enjoyed my Midway Distilling Rum Finished Rye Review! If you are a fan of rye and rum (are you?), then this is one to give a try. Oh – there’s a toy in the package, too! Do you know what it is? Stay tuned! Cheers!
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!
The post Midway Distilling Rum Finished Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .
Abou…
About a month ago, I had the world’s tiniest cheese fire in my oven. A pizza had dripped a little too much and…poof, up it went. The oven hasn’t really worked correctly since. Which kinda sucks. Nothing like baking something only to hear your oven shut off halfway through.
Well, it finally kicked the bucket yesterday. I shut it off, and it lost power. Never to turn back on. Or so I hope, I hate that oven. But I spent way too much on it to want to get rid of it. But I am doing my due diligence by having a former co-worker of my wife, who happens to be an appliance repair person, come over and pronounce judgment on the soul of the stove. If it can be resurrected, yay! I don’t have to spend lots of money on a replacement. If it can’t, yay! I get rid of something I really don’t like. Either way, I’m going to be both pissed off and extremely happy.
In the meantime, I get to cook outside. My wife had me set up an outdoor kitchen last summer with a propane burner, a pellet grill, and some prep tables. Thankfully, the weather has been above freezing. It may not have been worth it to cook a box of mac n cheese outside if it had gotten too cold. Tonight I’m testing out the pellet grill as an outdoor oven for a pan of lasagna. I’m going on the assumption that using the Yoder as an outdoor oven will work just fine. Even if I do get a bit of a smoked flavor on the lasagna. So if nothing else, I’ll learn some things about my secondary kitchen setup.
If you squint a bit, you could see tonight’s whiskey in the same light. I’d gone into the store looking to grab more of the bourbon that I reviewed last week. But even though I was in the same chain, I was in a different location. I was a bit bummed until I saw this bottle of Copper & Cask Straight Rye Whiskey. It was also MGP, also a store pick, also cask strength. I mean, I was pretty sure that everything would turn out great. I love MGP 95% rye. I love it even more at cask strength. But, who knows right? I’d only had one bottle of any whiskey from the collaboration in the past, maybe that bourbon was a one-off fluke. But I picked it up anyway. If nothing else, I’d learn a bit more about the brand, the store, or both.
Purchase Info: $49.96 for a 750 ml bottle at Top Ten Liquor, Chanhassen, MN
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33
Details: 54% ABV. Barrel #: MI-136. Distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN. Filled: Dec. 2015, Bottled: Oct. 2021, 5 years old. Mash bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley.
Nose: Cedar, mint, almond, and cinnamon.
Mouth: Spicy. Notes of cinnamon, almond, and cedar.
Finish: Warm and medium length. Notes of mint, cinnamon, and cedar.
Thoughts: Cask-strength MGP rye is very possibly my favorite pour. And this was an affordable bottle. Two great things that go great together. I really like this one. Probably not enough to go buy a case of it for the closet, but that mostly comes down to my wife not being nearly the fan of 95% rye that I am. I am hoping to grab a couple more bottles before they are out though.
Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.
Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.
