Rye - BourbonSphere

Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, 2023

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Ross & Squibb Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Ross & Squibb Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Well, hello there, neighbor. I was just sitting down to learn more about Ross & Squibb’s latest rye. Would you like to learn about it, too?

Ok, that’s enough with the Mr. Rogers thing. So, I’m still working my way through the massive number of samples that arrived while I was on vacation, and the next on the docket is one of a couple from Ross & Squibb, formerly known as the retail brand portion of MGP.

Rossville Union Bottled-in-Bond is a six-year-old Bonded Rye distilled in March 2017. It uses their 51% rye / 49% malted barley mash bill. They produced 3,000 6-bottle cases. And the suggested retail price is $49.99. Quoting from the Press Release:

“I’m proud to continue Ross & Squibb’s tradition of creating high-quality rye whiskey that dates back to 1847. Since that time, we have worked to perfect our craft, giving our rye whiskeys unmatched character,” said [Master Distiller Ian] Stirsman. “For our Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey we combined our industry leading rye expertise with a new high malt mashbill to create something truly special. We then let the barrels mature for a minimum of 6 years, resulting in aromas of sweet malt, dark chocolate, raisin and saddle leather with tasting notes highlighted by caramel and mocha with a rich, candied-fruit body, followed by a slight green-apple, malted-chocolate and cinnamon finish.”

So, they mention that this is a new mash bill. Looking back on past reviews that I’ve done for Rossville Union, I see that I mentioned this mash bill, as an aside, back in 2018 when I reviewed my first bottle from the brand. But I no longer see it on the MGP product sheet, so either they stopped making it and are using up the stocks or pulled it for in-house use. After tasting it, I’m guessing the latter, but that is just a guess.

Now onto the important part, how does it taste?

Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, 2023

Purchase Info: This sample bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 50% ABV. 6 years old. Mash bill: 51% rye, 49% malted barley.

Nose: Cedar, spearmint, and a touch of vanilla.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy with notes of spearmint, caramel, oak, stone fruits, apple, and cinnamon.

Finish: Sweet, warm, and long with notes of spearmint, cinnamon, and stone fruit.

Thoughts: With just rye and malted barley, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. Corn can help add a nicer mouthfeel to a rye, and I wondered if this would be an issue here. But nothing to worry about in that respect. This is a pretty damn good rye! I'm enjoying the heck out of it. It’s sweet and spicy with a very prominent spearmint note. It has really nice fruit notes. If you like a well-balanced rye, pick this one up. $50 for a limited release is a pretty good price.

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Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye Review (2023)

Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) recently announced the release of the newest member of the Rossville Union Rye family – Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye. It’s aged 6 years and made from a unique mash bill of 51% rye and 49% barley malt. So, what…

Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) recently announced the release of the newest member of the Rossville Union Rye family - Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye. It's aged 6 years and made from a unique mash bill of 51% rye and 49% barley malt. So, what's it like? Read our full review to find out!

The post Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye Review (2023) appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Finland’s Kyro Unveils Quartet Of Whiskies

Finnish distillery Kyrö has released a quartet of whiskies – Kyrö Malt, Kyrö Wood Smoke, Kyrö Oloroso and Kyrö Peat Smoke – all made from 100% Finnish rye, that form the distillery’s core whisky range. Kyrö Malt is double-distilled and matured for three years in new American white oak casks, bottled at 47.2% alcohol by […]

The post Finland’s Kyro Unveils Quartet Of Whiskies first appeared on Whisky Critic – Whisky Reviews & Articles – Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Kyrö Malt is double-distilled and matured for three years in new American white oak casks, bottled at 47.2% alcohol by volume [94.4 proof] and is being made available for $60 per bottle.

Kyrö Wood Smoke is made with the traditional ‘alder-smoked’ malt in a 100-year-old barn, bottled at 47.2% alcohol by volume [94.4 proof] and is being made available for $75 per bottle.

Kyrö Malt Oloroso is made from 100% malted Finnish wholegrain rye, triple-cask-finished in Spanish Oloroso sherry, new American oak, and ex-bourbon barrels, bottled at 47.2% alcohol by volume [94.4 proof] and is being made available for $70 per bottle.

Kyrö Peat Smoke is made with Finnish freshwater peat [smoking the peat for 24 hours], matured in new American oak casks and ex-bourbon barrels, bottled at 47.2% alcohol by volume [94.4 proof] and is being made available for $75 per bottle.

The post Finland’s Kyro Unveils Quartet Of Whiskies first appeared on Whisky Critic - Whisky Reviews & Articles - Style. Attitude. Whisky..

NEW RELEASE: Jack Daniel’s First Ever Bottled-in-Bond Rye

The Jack Daniel Distillery introduces Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye Whiskey as the newest member of its Bonded Series, a line of innovative expressions that honors the distillery’s heritage of whiskey-making excellence. Available now across the U.S., Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye is a Tennessee Rye Whiskey bottled at 100 proof (50% alc. by vol.), and is […]

The post NEW RELEASE: Jack Daniel’s First Ever Bottled-in-Bond Rye first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

As stipulated by the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, a bonded whiskey must be distilled by a single distiller during a single season, matured in a government bonded warehouse for at least four years, and bottled at 100 proof.

“The Bottled-in-Bond designation on Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye is another stamp of quality, assuring consumers that every drop of our whiskey is made right here in Lynchburg at the Jack Daniel Distillery with the highest standards possible,” said Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller. “Bonded Rye features our uniquely crafted rye grain bill at 100 proof, delivering a unique and balanced profile that drinkers have come to expect and seek out from our rye releases.”

Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye has a grain bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley and is charcoal mellowed before aging in new, handmade American white oak barrels. It opens with notes of dried fruit followed by lingering hints of toffee, imparting a bold, complex, and balanced taste with a rye spice finish.

With packaging inspired by the original design of the 1895 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey bottle, Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye will be available in 700mL bottles across the U.S. for a suggested retail price of $31.99. It will be available for pre-sale through ReserveBar starting September 6 including a limited edition Jack Daniel’s gift item while supplies last.

Jack Daniel’s Bonded Series includes Jack Daniel’s Bonded, Triple Mash and now Bonded Rye. For more information, visit www.jackdaniels.com.

For the latest in Bourbon, visit www.thebourbonreview.com.

The post NEW RELEASE: Jack Daniel’s First Ever Bottled-in-Bond Rye first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

Mersey Craft Spirits Rye Review

Mersey Craft Spirits Rye is a blend of high and low rye mash bills, distilled and aged in North Carolina, and bottled in Alabama. So what’s it like? Read our review to find out!
The post Mersey Craft Spirits Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsesse…

Mersey Craft Spirits Rye is a blend of high and low rye mash bills, distilled and aged in North Carolina, and bottled in Alabama. So what's it like? Read our review to find out!

The post Mersey Craft Spirits Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Parker’s Heritage Collection, 2023, Cask Strength Rye Whiskey

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Parker's Heritage Collection is Heaven Hill’s annual “Ultra-Premium” bourbon release named for Parker Beam, Heaven Hill’s late Master Distiller Emeritus. For many years now, a portion of each bottle’s price has been donated to support ALS research and patient care in honor of Mr. Beam. To this point, sales of Parker’s Heritage Collection have raised over $1.2 million, which is pretty cool.

So on to the bourbon, Heaven Hill was very detailed on how this bourbon was created, so instead of rehashing everything, I’ll just let them speak for themselves in this one.

The 17th edition is comprised of 10-year-old Rye Whiskey that was barreled in August, October, or December of 2012. The barrels were aged on the first floors of Rickhouses H1 and H2, the fifth floor of Rickhouse FF, the third and seventh floors of Rickhouse BB, and the second floor of Rickhouse DD. At bottling, the liquid was non-chill filtered to preserve the natural flavors of the aging process. The mashbill for this edition is comprised of Heaven Hill Distillery’s traditional Rye Whiskey Mashbill 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley and bottled at cask strength, 128.8 proof.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Parker's Heritage Collection, 17ᵗʰ Edition, 10-Year-Old, Cask-Strength Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: This sample was provided for review purposes by the producer at no charge. The suggested retail price is $185.00

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $12.33

Details: 10 years old, 64.4% ABV. Mash Bill: 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley

Nose: Cola, cedar, honey, and herbal mint.

Mouth: Hot and very sweet. Honey, cedar, cherry, and herbal mint.

Finish: Hot and long with prominent notes of honey and cherry, followed by notes of oak and baking spice.

Thoughts: Wow! Not only is this really hot—at almost 130° proof, I expected that—but it's much sweeter than I anticipated. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever had a rye with this much honey sweetness before. And you know I love honey, so this one hits in all the right places for me. I will say, though, that I prefer it with a small piece of ice or a splash of water. All the flavors stick around, but the heat is tamed a bit. It's delicious in either case. I like this one a lot.

Now, I usually pour off a section of these samples to share with local friends who love whiskey. But this time, I decided on a whim to use this more lavishly. I made myself possibly the most expensive Sazerac I’ve ever made at home. I used two ounces of Parker’s Heritage Rye, five shakes of barrel-aged Peychaud’s Bitters, and a squeeze of Agave syrup in a glass spritzed with absinth and a lemon twist. Oh my goodness! I know I’ve never had a Sazerac this good. Not in a bar, not at home, not in New Orleans. It was very possibly the best cocktail I’ve ever made. And after using $15 worth of whiskey in it, it should be. Just thought I’d share that. Not that anyone who didn’t get it for free (or is extravagantly wealthy) would use it this way, but if you were curious like I was, there you go.

It’s Madness! WhistlePig Goes One Step Beyond – FarmStock

Vermont-based WhistlePig, noted for their rye whiskies, have gone one step beyond with their latest limited edition farm-to-bottle whiskey series – FarmStock Beyond Bonded – where all whiskies in the series have been bottled in bond, having been harvested and distilled at the WhistlePig farm and distillery in Vermont in one season. Whistlepig FarmStock Beyond […]

The post It’s Madness! WhistlePig Goes One Step Beyond – FarmStock first appeared on Whisky Critic – Whisky Reviews & Articles – Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Whistlepig FarmStock Beyond Bonded series will include a straight wheat whiskey, straight rye whiskey and a straight Bourbon whiskey.

All three WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded spirits were bottled at 50% alcohol by volume [100 proof] and originate from the distillery’s nine grain fields across 500 acres, have been distilled and proofed with the farm’s well water and aged in their sustainably-harvested Vermont oak casks.

Only 23 barrels [11 rye, nine bourbon, three wheat] of WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded series whiskies are being made available, exclusively in Vermont until the end of summer 2023.

The post It’s Madness! WhistlePig Goes One Step Beyond – FarmStock first appeared on Whisky Critic - Whisky Reviews & Articles - Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Old Ezra 7 Rye Review

Old Ezra 7 Rye is a blend of 95% and 51% rye whiskeys, distilled by Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) and released by Lux Row Distillers. It is bottled at 114 proof. How did it turn out? Read on to find out!
The post Old Ezra 7 Rye Review appeared fi…

The post Old Ezra 7 Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Ezra Brooks Adds Pair Of Products – Rye And Liqueur

Luxco-owned Ezra Brooks has added a pair of products to their line-up – a rye whiskey and a bourbon cream liqueur. Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye Whiskey contains a 51% rye mash bill, is bottled at 49.5% alcohol by volume [99 proof] and is said to offer notes of chocolate, leather and vanilla. Ezra Brooks […]

Luxco-owned Ezra Brooks has added a pair of products to their line-up – a rye whiskey and a bourbon cream liqueur.

Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye Whiskey contains a 51% rye mash bill, is bottled at 49.5% alcohol by volume [99 proof] and is said to offer notes of chocolate, leather and vanilla.

Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream is a blend of ‘natural’ cream and Kentucky Straight Bourbon, bottled at 16.5% alcohol by volume [33 proof] and is said to offer notes of caramel, pecan and toffee.

Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey & Square 6 Wheated Bourbon

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

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I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

Hey, we’re back with the two newest releases in the Square 6 lineup. I’m not going to lie to you. I found the High-Rye Bourbon that we reviewed in the last post to be very disappointing. As far as I’m aware, I’ve seldom, if ever, disliked a Heaven Hill product, especially when it was something that was selling for almost $100.

Heaven Hill touts the Evan Williams Experience as an “Artisinal” distillery. And I can see that logic with it only being able to produce a barrel of distillate daily. And honestly, the High-Rye bourbon tasted like an early craft whiskey. Unfortunately, they priced it like one as well. We used to call that the “craft tax.” You’d pay too much for sub-par whiskey because the small guys didn’t have the economies of scale to buy enough product to get the lowest prices for their ingredients or the cash flow to let it age out to the point of smoothing off the rough edges. Heaven Hill has no such issue here. Sure, at a barrel per day, they will never have a lot of the whiskeys. But if it isn’t on the same level as your other ultra-premium whiskeys, is it worth watering down your brand by pricing it like one of them? I honestly don’t know. I just yell into the void on the internet. But from my chair, I wouldn’t have done it that way.

Anyway, I’ll start out with a spoiler. The next two do, in fact, taste better than the High-Rye Bourbon. I even liked one of them. Though even then, I certainly wouldn’t pay $90 for it.

Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey

Summary of the Press Release: On October 18, 2022, Heaven Hill Distillery introduced the Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey, the second craft product of its series launched from the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. This exclusive Rye Whiskey features a mashbill with 63% Rye, 24% Corn, and 13% Malted Barley, distinguishing it from their traditional Rye Whiskey mashbill. Bottled at 95 proof, it boasts intriguing notes of black tea, sweet honey, fig, molasses, allspice, pepper, vanilla, and cardamom. Limited in quantity, the Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey is available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and select Kentucky retailers for $89.99.

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no cost by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 47.5% ABV. Mashbill: 63% Rye, 24% Corn, and 13% Malted Barley

Nose: Cedar, cotton candy, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cinnamon candies, cola, mint, ginger, and vanilla.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of cedar, mint, cola, and ginger.

Thoughts: Not bad. It certainly isn't my favorite rye, but I wouldn't turn down a glass, either. Overall this straddles the line between "I Like it" and "I'm neutral on this." In such cases, I usually round up. And I’m doing so again here. There are definitely interesting notes in there that help bump it up. I really like how the cola notes play with the mint and the ginger. Overall, this is an interesting take on rye, a category big Kentucky distilleries rarely innovate in.

Square 6 Wheated Bourbon

Summary of the Press Release: On June 13, 2023, Heaven Hill Distillery introduced Square 6 Wheated Bourbon. This is the third product in the Square 6 line that was developed at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville. This new bourbon is a blend of two distinct wheated mashbills, one with 74% corn, 16% wheat, and 10% malted barley, and the other with 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Bottled at 105 proof, the Square 6 Wheated Bourbon offers rich aromas of caramel, vanilla, figs, bing cherries, and oak, with a palate featuring sweet confectioners' sugar and walnuts, and a finish highlighted by walnuts, oak tannins, baking spices, cinnamon, and cola. Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau and the team at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience craft one barrel of this unique bourbon daily, constantly refining the hand-crafted pot still process for each recipe. The limited release of Square 6 Wheated Bourbon is available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and select Kentucky retailers for a suggested retail price of $89.99.

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no cost by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 52.5% ABV. Mashbill: a blend of two distinct wheated mashbills, one with 74% corn, 16% wheat, and 10% malted barley, and the other with 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley.

Nose: Strong oak notes, along with fruit and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cedar, mint, cinnamon, and fresh lumber.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of fruit, mint, cinnamon, and chocolate.

Thoughts: First thoughts? Not bad, not great. Expanding a little on that thought: it is not objectively bad, but it's not for me. As usual, in such cases, I'm giving it a neutral rating. But, like I said, it just doesn’t align with my palate. However, it is not nearly as tasty as I would have expected from Heaven Hill.

And heck, there might be people who want to spend the money on something different and end up liking it. I wouldn’t look sideways at them for that. I’m not the type to yuck anyone’s yum. That said, I'd definitely see if someone is pouring it in a Louisville bar before heading over to the Evan Williams Experience to buy a bottle. That goes for all three, in fact. I can see the Square 6 line being polarizing. And it would be terrible to drop a hundred bucks on a bottle if it turns out you don’t like it.