Item: x Willett Rye Madeira Finish
Rating: 4
Author: Josh Peters

Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish Review

Blackened x Willett Rye is a project combining the resources and talents of three men: Drew Kulsveen, Rob Dietrich and Lars Ulrich. Drew provided the whiskey (combination of high rye and low rye whiskeys), Rob supplied the finishing process (wine barrels and “Black Noise”), and Lars sequenced a unique playlist, chosen by Rob and Drew, […]

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Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish Review

On the surface, I like this a lot. Not because of any of the individual components, but because it’s awesome to see distilleries and producers working together like this and both putting a stake and a name on the product. I love seeing this kind of unique collaboration to bring something new to the market. The only thing, on the surface, I don’t like about it is some of the marketing.

To some, proper naming might be minor, but to the nerds who spend our time digging deep into the laws governing our favorite spirits, it’s a big deal. So, I have to call out that this is NOT a straight rye as stated over-and-over in the press releases and marketing which simply label this as “BLACKENED x Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey”. It’s finished in Madeira casks, which immediately disqualifies it from being a straight rye.

To the credit of the label, it does carry the full designation/proper title of it being a “Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey finished in Madeira Casks”. But the marketing around it, almost exclusively, calls it a straight rye. I get that it’s a long title to copy and paste over and over, but that’s what it is. If they had just blasted the Willett barrels with Black Noise, and no finishing, then yes, it could be a straight rye, but the finishing immediately removes that solitary designation.

Now that we have the nerd stuff squared away, let’s get to why you’re really here. To see how this thing performs in the glass. So let’s get to drinkin’ and hop right into the review.

Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Willett
Finisher and Bottler: Blackened
Mash Bill: 51%+ Rye + Corn + Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak, ex-Madeira (finished up to 14 weeks)
Age: NAS (blend of barrels aged 4-8 years)
ABV: 54.8%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: 1

Price: $140*

White background tasting shot with the Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish sample bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it. — “BLACKENED® American Whiskey launches its first-ever collaboration as part of the Limited Edition Masters of Whiskey Series: The BLACKENED X Willett Collaboration Kentucky Straight Rye. This Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Rye highlights the symbiotic collaboration between Master Distiller & Blender Rob Dietrich of Sweet Amber Distilling Co. and Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen of Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY” – Blackened

Tasting Notes

EYE
Copperish amber

NOSE
Dilly rye spice, oak, plummy dark fruit, sweet tobacco, clove and anise-heavy baking spice and touches of toffee, vanilla and copper.

A juicy and multifaceted aroma that keeps moving and shifting a bit. This is a fun whiskey just to sit and sniff.

PALATE
Oak, dilly rye spice, cocoa, leathery dried dark fruit, clove and anise-heavy baking spice with some bits of orange peel, sweet tobacco and hazelnuts.

A more complex palate that brings out some earthier and more darkly sweet tones. I like how the Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish palate starts a bit dry and oaky, but opens to a nice balanced sweetness.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, dilly rye spice, leathery dried dark fruit and some copper and orange peels.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good sense of balance, full body and a warm, slightly tannic-dry, feel.

Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish – Overall Thoughts and Score

There is complexity and nuance to this and adding a bit of water enhances the whole experience. On the aroma, the vanilla moves up and gets a bit of a frosting sweetness and the coppery/metallic notes pop a bit more. The palate gets more of the fruity sweetness and moves from leathery to juicy and loses some of the dryness. Marketing quibbles and qualms aside, I like it. It’s a noticeably different product than the regular Blackened or Blackened Cask Strength.

On the whole, this Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish is something new, different and tasty. It’s a great marriage of the talents and processes of two icons in the whiskey world and even if it wasn’t a good whiskey, I’d be happy it existed; I’d love to see more collaborations like this show up in the market. Some truly remarkable things can happen when people work together.

SCORE: 4/5

*Disclosure: The sample for this finished rye whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish Label

Blackened x Willett Rye Madeira Finish Review $140

Summary

Take the best part of Blackened’s process, combine it with the great whiskey Willett puts out and you get this. A tasty, unique whiskey worth sharing with friends.

Overall

Nose

(4)
Palate

(4)
Finish

(4)
BBF

(4)

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Comments Rating 5 (1 review)

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Stellum Rye

Some…

Sometimes one thing just leads to another, you know? You can wake up in the morning thinking to yourself that you have nothing to do, nowhere to go, and that there is nothing on your calendar. And then you can end the day having spent $450 on a meat grinder and another $120 on whiskey. And that was me last Saturday.

I woke up Saturday morning. Early of course because hungry dogs had me up at 5:30 am. I groaned and tried to convince them to go back to sleep, to no avail. So the only thing to do was see if my wife would make us coffee while I took the pups out to go potty. It has been so dry in Minnesota that I think the only moisture my lawn gets is from the dogs urinating on it. Which probably means that the lawn is done for. But at least the weeds are still green. So there’s that.

As I was cleaning up after the dogs, my wife came out to add something to the ol’ honey-do list. She said, “remember to do some research on a meat grinder today.” Now, as you might expect from someone who does what I’m doing right now, I like to do research on the internet. I find reading reviews, combing through forums, and looking at specs to be fun and enjoyable. And I’ve been smoking a lot of meat lately. Which means I have a freezer full of trimmings. So looking at a meat grinder to turn those trimmings into tasty food was something I was looking forward to.

As I finished my research, I realized that my local Fleet-Farm had the model I was looking for. In-stock and on sale. You know I decided to brave the smoke outside and go get it. And of course, Fleet-Farm is right by a local Municipal Liquor store. It’s a small store, they don’t have everything, but they try to make their selection complement that of the Total Wine up the road by carrying items that Total Wine doesn’t. So I decided that since I was out braving the smoke anyway, it would be a waste of a trip if I didn’t stop in.

And that is where I found tonight’s whiskey. And one of next week’s as well. I picked up the Stellum Rye and the Stellum Bourbon, but I’m going to stretch the content out as much as I can. Stellum is a brand created by the makers of Barrell Bourbon. It is a cask-strength, non-chill filtered blend of Straight whiskeys from Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. According to an interview conducted by Fred Minnick with Barrell founder Joe Beatrice, the constituent whiskeys are between four and ten years old. And according to the Stellum website, the rye we are exploring tonight is made mostly of the 95% rye Indiana mashbill with small amounts of more “barley forward rye and choice barrels from both Kentucky and Tennessee.” The suggested retail price is $54.99 and should be available on an ongoing basis in 45 markets across the US.

I am a big fan of MGP’s 95% rye whiskey, especially at cask strength, and while they didn’t confirm that the 95% Rye from Indiana that they used was actually from MGP, I’m just going to go on the assumption that it is. So I was very excited to taste this one. Let’s see how it tastes.

Stellum Rye

Purchase Info: $52.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Lakeville Liquors, Lakeville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.53

Details: 58.12% ABV. Distilled in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Nose: Cooked cereals, mint, cinnamon, clove, and maple.

Mouth: Very hot in the mouth. Notes of honey, cherry, mint, cinnamon, and tobacco.

Finish: Spicy and warm. Medium length. Notes of cinnamon, mint, and brown sugar.

Thoughts: I'm really digging this one. As I said, I'm a big fan of the MGP 95/5 Rye recipe and am very glad that they made it the star of this blend. The other parts of the blend work to add sweetness and round off the sharp edges that 95/5 can sometimes come with. Big fan. I really like this one. I highly recommend it if you want a high-proof variation on MGP-style 95% rye.

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Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: Old Fitzgerald Spring 2021 Bottled in Bond and Four Gate Ruby Rye Springs.

Sometimes you have to try bourbon side by side with another whiskey that is totally different. Usually, a wheated bourbon and bourbon with rye as a secondary grain isn’t truly different enough. In most cases, not even a bourbon versus a 51% rye whiskey will do the trick. But a wheated bourbon compared with a 95% rye barrel finished in ex-ruby port casks from Portugal, which then aged rum before being shipped to Four Gate? That promises to be the sort of distinctive differences that I want.

Old Fitzgerald Spring 2021 Bottled in Bond Tasting Notes

Bourbon:        Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery:       Heaven Hill
Age:                8 years
ABV:              50% (100 proof)
Cost:               $85.00

Appearance:
Amber with slight red.

Nose:
Classic wheater in many ways, with sweet caramel, subtle honeysuckle, and spring grass. But another nice layer of cinnamon and dark, dried fruit, too.

Taste:
Caramel dominates, with a buttery mouthfeel, light fruit sweetness, and slight earthiness at the end. Extremely solid and nothing unexpected. On the first pour it almost seemed too much of exactly what I expected, but on the second and third evenings, I enjoyed it more and more. This is an extremely refined and balanced bourbon with complexity that builds.

Finish:
Medium/long with a really enjoyable fade.

Four Gate Ruby Rye Tasting Notes

Bourbon:        Four Gate Ruby Rye Springs
Distillery:       Undisclosed, but distilled in Indiana, so … MGP
Age:                7 years
ABV:              56.7% (113.4 proof)
Cost:               $185.00

Appearance:
Dark amber.

Nose:
Intense rye with dried dark fruit around the corners, along with brown sugar, baking spice, and lemon zest.

Taste:
Intense rye again. Tasting it alongside a wheated bourbon really amps up the rye spice. It’s also a lot sweeter than the nose predicted, like a juicy, syrupy, sweetness, then shifting to slightly herbal with black pepper and oak, but all along a brown sugar backbone.

Finish:
The finish is crisp. Berry sweetness fades first as rye and black pepper surge.

Bottom Line

Many people focus too much on age when selecting bourbon, while others more in the know realize that bourbon is dynamic enough to have sweet spots at different ranges without being wed to a certain age target. Old Fitzgerald has proven that with bourbon as old as 16 years old and now as young as 8 years old. And this Spring 2021 edition absolutely shines.

Four Gate’s Batch 7—which I really liked—is the base Rye for Ruby Rye Springs. When I reviewed Batch 7, I found it mouthwatering, and now with the finishing influence of port and rum, it’s even more so. As with other Four Gate batches, this is extremely limited at 1,444 bottles if you’re in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, or Georgia, or Seelbach’s if you’re almost anywhere else.

Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me samples for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.

Four Gate Whiskey Company Announces Release #11, RUBY RYE SPRINGS, FULL PRESS RELEASE

FULL PRESS RELEASE: Four Gate Whiskey is releasing its 11th batch of whiskey, and once again presenting a popular 7-Year Old Indiana Straight Rye Whiskey, this time finished for forty two days in Ruby Port-Rum casks.

Old Forester Rye Review

Here lately Old Forester seems to be a brand that is on the rise. While I don’t see them ever getting the same kind of silly overhyped attention as a distillery like Buffalo Trace, they have had a steady trend of well received releases that seem to be …

Here lately Old Forester seems to be a brand that is on the rise. While I don't see them ever getting the same kind of silly overhyped attention as a distillery like Buffalo Trace, they have had a steady trend of well received releases that seem to be produced with enthusiasts in mind. As a whole, I generally like their products - Signature is decent for the price, 1910 was an interesting change of pace, and 1920 is a terrific all around bourbon that I regularly buy at least a few times a year. They really only have one product I don't care for and that is the limited edition Birthday Bourbon. After trying at least a dozen vintages, I've given up on ever liking it as all I ever taste is bitter acetone.

So here today we have another newish product released by them in early 2019 in the form of a rye whiskey. It didn't take long for it to start generating a good bit of low level praise, so based on that and the other positive trends I was seeing for Old Forester releases I figured it was worth picking up. While there is no age statement, 100 proof is very modest and there wasn't much risk considering the low asking price. Also of note is the rather unusual mashbill here: 65% rye, 20% barley, 15% corn. That's a little bit higher rye than your typical barely legal 51% Kentucky ryes but the more interesting part is the large percentage of barley which may lend to some cereal note characteristics.

bottle

Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey; No Age Statement; 50% ABV; $25

Nose: Zesty rye notes like pine, clove, and eucalyptus. Some light florals and a sweetness that has minty bubblegum coming to mind. Definitely breathes like a highish rye influenced whiskey. There is a decent amount of oaky wood influence here and not a lot of overpowering grainy new make notes.

Taste: Upfront starts with your typical woody sweets which then transitions into a rye prominence of baking spices/clove. In the finish the wood sweets transform into a darker cocoa vibe and the spice remains though it's not overpowering. Throughout all are the tell-tale banana notes that I get in every Brown Forman whiskey I've ever had which at this point I think has to be due to their yeast. It drinks pretty easy for 100 proof. I would guess this is a little older than the bare minimum of four years for no age statement, maybe 6ish years.

Thoughts: I like this. It's not going to blow you away as an intensely spicy rye nor is the the most nuanced whiskey but it's good as an affordable daily sipper and it works really well in cocktails. For the longest time Rittenhouse was my cocktail rye of choice back when it was still being contract distilled at Brown Forman but these days the Heaven Hill version tastes young and green/earthy to me. This product is considerably better than that and as a bonus, it's cheaper. Hats off to Old Forester for knocking another one out of the park.

Rating: B-/C+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Bulleit 12 Year Rye Review

Straight Rye Whiskey Distilled in Indiana; Aged 12 years; 46% ABV; $55Nose: Rye spice in the form of spearmint and menthol. It definitely has the spice backbone of a 95% rye mash. There are also some doughy notes like rye bread as well as some fai…

bottle

Straight Rye Whiskey Distilled in Indiana; Aged 12 years; 46% ABV; $55

Nose: Rye spice in the form of spearmint and menthol. It definitely has the spice backbone of a 95% rye mash. There are also some doughy notes like rye bread as well as some faint musty wood. It breathes really easy and overall the nose is rather light which I would attribute to the modest 92 proof.

Taste: Mostly all wood and spice. The spice isn't quite as evident as in the nose and there is quite a bit of barrel influence. I wouldn't necessarily call it bitter but it's pretty lacking in any kind of prominent sweets. Beyond that, there are traces of the infamous pickle flavor MGP ryes can exhibit and here it's a bit like barrel aged gherkins which is as displeasing as it sounds.

Thoughts: I didn't like this when I opened it nor do I like it now. Maybe I am spoiled by the days of cheaper highish aged cask strength MGP rye but proof aside, profile wise this is nothing like any of those. There is a woody, sweet, and spicy balance in all of those that I love but this is just spice and borderline bitterness. I can't imagine it's just the proof that would make that much difference so I am at a loss as to why I do not like this.

Rating: D+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Wild Turkey Cornerstone Review

Wild Turkey Cornerstone, the fourth whiskey released by Wild Turkey in the United States as part of their Master’s Keep series. This time around we get a high proof rye, batched from barrels aged nine to eleven years. As someone who has tasted Wild Tur…

Wild Turkey Cornerstone, the fourth whiskey released by Wild Turkey in the United States as part of their Master's Keep series. This time around we get a high proof rye, batched from barrels aged nine to eleven years. As someone who has tasted Wild Turkey rye at the 9+ year old mark straight from the barrel on several occasions, I was excited to see them release a rye with these stats. At the same time though I was very grouchy about the fact that it would be such a high priced offering and initially convinced myself I wasn't interested. My sensibilities went out the window one random day though when I walked into a store and saw a lone bottle of this on the shelf. In a rare moment of taterism, I caved and bought it so here we are.

Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey; Aged at least 9 years; 54.5% ABV, $180

Nose: The nose is a bit flat - some doughy rye bread, maybe a little zesty citrus, and then your typical American whiskey sweet notes (vanilla, caramel, etc). If I really reach I can barely tell it is a rye with some spicy zip but there's really not a lot of character. I will say this bottle has been open for quite some time so I think the nose is slightly oxidized.

Taste: Much better than the nose. The mouthfeel is full and there a good amount of classic bourbony sweet notes here. There are some light citrus fruits, maybe tangerine? Towards the finish there are some spicy rye spearmint and clove along with decent oaky notes. Again the rye notes seem to be taking a back seat - If I had this blind I'd probably guess it was a high rye bourbon.

Thoughts: This is pretty decent, bordering on good though like most other Kentucky straight ryes it's not going to blow you away with spice notes. I shared the last of this bottle with another member of my bourbon club and while she liked it she commented it's not really a rye drinker's rye. As someone who also particularly enjoys high proof Alberta and MGP ryes that comment certainly resonates with me. Overall, I don't think this is that much better than the Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye you can buy off the shelf today. A few years ago I probably wouldn't have said that but lately I think that product tastes more mature and that comment is a testament to how good it is now. Given that comparison it's hard for me to feel anything beyond meh about this release despite the fact that it's actually pretty good whiskey.

Rating: B/B-

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.