The Copper Fox Distillery Tasting Notes

Copper Fox Rye 45%

75% Rye/ 25% Malted Barley – Malted with 60% Apple wood & 40% Cherry wood

Aged for 15 months with new and used Apple wood and oak chips inside used ex-bourbon barrels. Finished in used ex-bourbon barrels

Btl: 2013/ Tasted: July 2014

A pungent nose of marc-like straw and raw spirit. Hints of gritty, sweet cherry, herbal rye, coffee and apple. It’s extremely young! 

The palate is very much like the nose with an intensity of marc-like straw, very herbal rye and a rather false oak character. Extremely bitter and herbal with not much in the way of complexity. Bitter finish with a little sweet cherry smoke note coming through. In conclusion: It’s interesting. Personally I would have not used the wood chips as it has given it a very unnatural and bitter wood character. It would have been better to just give it more time in cask.

Four Roses Distillery Tasting Notes

Bulleit 95 Rye 45%

95% Rye, 5% Malted barley

Tasted: July 2014

A stunning nose of herbal rye at its fruitiest! Pure, oily cinnamon mingles with sexy perfumed rye. Wonderfully sweetly spiced with muscavado sugar, sweet vanillins and a touch of molasses. For all that sweetness the clarity of the rye cuts through it like a knife!

The palate is soft and silky. Again seriously fruity with dark honey, muscavado sugar coating the lightly herbal but hard as nails rye, which makes the middle very mouth-watering, however the sweet fruit and oak balance superbly. A real sexy finish with a light coal dust note in the finish. I’m not a great fan of their Bourbons but this is stellar stuff!

Bulleit 95 Rye 45%

Re- Tasted: Aug 2017

An intense and pungently oily nose of Riesling-esque petrol and sweet rye with hints of honey, vanilla and subtle spice. Late notes of lime, granulated sugar and charred oak. A unique take on rye!

The palate is full and quite sweet, almost honeyed in fact with sweet rye spices. Again there is a touch of petrol, which balances the sweetness (honestly it does!) Superb intensity and length with subtle herbal and oak notes in the finish.

Bulleit 95 Rye 45%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2018

Quite sweet and sexy aromas of cereal and lightly herbal rye. Hints of burnt toast oak, lime and vanilla appear.

The palate is lighter and more citric with a subtle, sweet rye and hints of oak vanillins. Lovely, juicy fruitiness with pear and apricot and a touch of honey on the middle. Long, intense and spicy rye finish.

 

Smooth Ambler Tasting Notes

Smooth Ambler Old Stout 7 year old Rye Whiskey 49.5%

Maverick Drinks

Batch 23/ Tasted: July 2014

A very full and violety nose with no shortage of very sweet and buttery oak. The dark rye begins to assert itself but the oak pretty much wraps it up in that creamy sweetness.

The palate is soft and again showing plenty of sweet, vanilla oak. Like the nose the rye is fairly buried and gives it a fairly simplistic feeling. However it has a good length with hints of violet, green rye spice and oak. The oak isn’t quite as heavy on the palate so the rye does have a chance to come through.

 

Rock Town Distillery Tasting Notes

Rock Town Distillery Arkansas Rye 46%

86% Rye, 12% Malted Barley

Aged in 15 gallon (56ltr) 2 year yard dried, new #4 char American oak.

Tasted: Dec 2013

Pungent aromas of pure, young. Herbal-green rye. Hugely spiced with white pepper, sweet cinnamon and nutmeg. The oak is quite grainy but sweet and adds roasted Java coffee and a touch of bitter chocolate. Visceral but polished with molasses and a light manurey note. With time a touch of Balcones Brimstone like burnt scrub appears.

The palate is soft and herbal with plenty of young, edgy, green rye. The oak is more subservient, thus the emphasis is on the taught and sinewy oils and light citrus. Young and raw, but those spices are truly magnificent and sweet. Good length with the sweet, lightly toasted, marzipan/nutty sweet oak coming through along with that herbal wood smoke and a touch of smoked meat. Quite an earthy, lightly coffee’d, milk and bitter dark chocolate after-taste. Seriously intense and a real mouthful!

WhistlePig Farm Distillery Tasting Notes

WhistlePig Farm Distillery 10 Year Old Straight Rye 55.5%

Aged in new American oak barrels for a minimum of 10 years, and hand bottled in Vermont’s ChamplainValley at WhistlePig Farm.

Tasted: Feb 2013

Nose: Lots of youthful rose petal marc character and peppery spice. Hard as nails rye arrives along with some edgy citrus. Slight oily with a touch of salinity. A drop of water brings out some orange fruit and accentuates the salinity.

Palate: Quite woody, oily and youthful. The alcohol masks somewhat but there’s some fleshy fruit lurking. A drop of water only emphasises its immaturity.

Finish: Masked by the alcohol. Water lengthens but again brings out its immaturity.

Conclusion: Neat it’s hard and edgy, diluted it’s somewhat lacking.

WhistlePig Straight Rye 12 year old – Old World Series: Sauternes Finish 45%

Tasted: Apr 2015

Nose: Big, fat corn and big, fat, buttery oak! It’s a plus size Bourbon! The oak is pleasantly fragrant and very silky. Beneath is a little spice and saline-like notes but you have to really dig deep to find them!

Palate: Full and generously endowed in the oak department! Pretty straightforward stuff with a touch of corn. There’s no surprise that given the mountain of oak it begins to bitter on the middle.

Finish: Long and corny with hints of herbal marc, which indicates its relative youth. Quite a dry, bitter chocolate after-taste.

Conclusion: If you like your Americans fat and simple then this is right up your street. However if you prefer more spice, vibrancy and complexity then; ‘Get out on the Highway!”

WhistlePig Straight Rye 12 year old – Old World Series: Madeira Finish 45%

Tasted: July 2015

Nose: Apricot and orange marmalade with thick cut, sweet vanilla oak. Hints of sweet white winey fruit and an almost barley-like note. A sliver of bitter chocolate adds balance.

Palate: Opens with some syrup and honey coated almost late harvested white grape and orange conserve. Lightly earthy with some developing crisp spice. Quite subtly oaked with late herbal rye and pepper.

Finish: Long, with a light toasted marzipan note. Slightly austere as the alcohol cuts through the sweetness, but it has a pleasantly dusty spiced after-taste.

Conclusion: Has this been finished in late harvested wine casks? It certainly seems so. Although the alcohol balances the sweetness I think it’s one for those of you with a sweet tooth!

WhistlePig Straight Rye 12 year old – Old World Series: Port Finish 45%

Tasted: July 2015

Nose: Earthy and manure with malt, treacle, dense oak and a lovely combination of herbal and spicy rye. It has quite a prominent sour mash character along with a winey sweetness. Seriously weighty and dense with hints of violet, orange conserve and grippy, coffee’d spice.

Palate: Opens with gentle vanilla pod and light treacle. Like the nose there is a distinct late harvested grapey sweetness along with honey and gentle, spicy rye. Toasty oak comes through on the middle but that winey note becomes quite dominant, however the alcohol just about balances.

Finish: Long and succulent with plenty of oily marzipan and a touch of oily corn. Exits with a herbal rye flourish.

Conclusion: A late harvested wine cask finished rye whisky? It’s dangerously drinkable through!

WhistlePig Straight Rye 12 year old – Old World Series 45%

Straight rye whiskey which has been finished in a selection of wine casks – 63% Madeira, 30% Sauternes and 7% Port

Tasted: Feb 2016

Nose: Very chlorinated and herbal with juicy orange, cinnamon sticks, hickory chunky, toasty and buttery oak. Develops darker treacly notes but its wonderfully fresh and vibrant.

Palate: Full and juicy with dusty vanilla and buckets of wood shavings. Succulent, spicy, wood rye comes through with a slight herbalness on the middle. Again slightly chlorinated with coffee and hickory notes.

Finish: Long and succulent with lingering herbal rye and oak.

Conclusion: If this is what I think it is then it shows a lot better balance of spirit and wood than the last time I tasted it!

WhistlePig Straight Rye 15 year old 46%

Tasted: Apr 2016

Nose: Very, toasty and buttery oak start with clean corn, wood spice and lightly herbal rye. There’s a well-hidden orange note but the nose is a serious oak fest!

Palate: A touch more edgy with some very citric spirit character and hints of earth, dark rye and spice. The oak arrives on the middle, all effusive, silky and buttery but the rye has the edge and gives it a better balance.

Finish: Long and earthy with lingering rye, sweet oak, corn syrup and dark chocolate.

Conclusion: A brilliant rye. If only the nose displayed the clarity and intensity of the rye that the palate did it would be in the running for editor’s choice.

 

Heaven Hill Distillery Tasting Notes

Pikesville Straight Rye  40%

Tasted: Mar 2009

An incredibly clean nose of lovely rich oak and crisp rye grains along with a touch of violets. It has a lovely balance and depth with a touch of bubblegum and smoke. Soft on the palate with the grains to the fore. Spice and a delicate touch of oak follow. The piquant intensity builds nicely. Straightforward and well made. Excellent value for money. It never becomes too oaky and the earthy rye always stays in control with an amazing clarity.

Pikesville 6 year old Straight Rye 110 Proof 55%

Tasted: Oct 2015

Nose: Dense and robust with treacle, dark rye bread, dark spices and dark herbs. Yes, it’s a bit dark! Hints of sweet oak adds some lightness and corn adds some sweetness. With time earth, liquorice and roasted coffee notes appear.

Palate: Full of toffee-treacle, dark rye and dark wood spices. So dense that you could cut it with a knife! Hints of sweet corn and honey come through along with some subtle vanilla but the oak is becoming increasingly bitter.

Finish: Intense, mouth-watering finish. The bitter spices grab you by the doobries and refuse to let go! That’s good though!

Conclusion: It’s a bit hardcore this one. If you have an allergy to bitter spices then I’d leave this well alone!

Rittenhouse Rye 40%

Tasted: Dec 2016

The nose opens with sweet, buttery and binary corn with hints of spicy rye, black pepper and violets. I’m surprised at how dominant the corn element is. With time the rye fights back and a touch of orange and toffee’d oak appear.

The palate is crisper and shows more rye character, but it’s a bit watery. Subtly spiced, with the oak bittering on the middle although some sweet corn and toffee offsets. Relatively straightforward with a good, earthy and spicy rye finish.

Rittenhouse 100 Proof Rye 50%

Tasted: Jan 2018

A lovely, intensely spicy nose with violets, dark chocolate and grippy tannins. A touch of toasted corn adds a balancing sweetness as does a subtle treacle and an almost wheaty note.

The palate displays dry, earthy and spicy rye with hints of corn and sweet oak. The spicy rye is the focus here, just like the nose. A touch of orange and apricot comes through on the middle but damn, that’s a seriously spicy finish.

Rittenhouse Rye 25 year old 50%

Cask No16/ Tasted: Nov 2010

A stunning nose, loaded with sweet grains, candy floss and plenty of that bitter rye bite. Deep and luscious with plenty of oak, nutty/ oily-vanilla, sweet toffee, sandalwood and oak smoke. Superb! The palate opens with a wave of dried fruit, walnuts and grain. This is followed by mouth puckering alcohol with hints of liquorice, bitter chocolate and toffee. The oak wades in towards the end with a mountainous amount of vanillins. Yet in saying that the balance is in no way compromised. It’s stunning; it languidly flows from beginning to end. A fabulous way to end the evening.

With water the nose becomes more fragrant with hints of pecan tart, drizzled with rich, coffee essence. Likewise the palate becomes more fragrant too, with a lovely violet twist to the fruit. Now this is definitely worth the £190 price tag!

 

Buffalo Trace Tasting Notes

Thomas H Handy Rye 8 year old 66.35% (132.7 proof)

Tasted: Oct 2008

Good grief where do you start, the aromas buzz around like an agitated bag of bees! There’s intense crisp rye grains fighting with vanilla oak, manure, salty-chestnut, Cuban coffee crystallised fruits and a beguiling violety note.

The palate is no less intense. As Jim Murray says, this is faultless and mesmeric. The crisp rye grains hit the tongue first followed by a gloriously soft toffee-vanilla fudge flavour. Then it opens into a grassy, floral, violety phase, lazily followed by a bittersweet, earthy, spicy, gingery symphony. As it winds its way leisurely to its conclusion some waxy, vegetal spice and sandalwood notes become apparent. Wow this is a serious journey!

Thomas H Handy (2013 Release) 64.2%

Best American Rye/ Tasted; Jan 2014

Nose: A dense, impenetrable nose. Gobbins of earthy but sweet rye, citrus, cinnamon, liquorice, smoke and solid woody, grainy oak. With time it becomes quite herbal with leafy, nettly, camphor-like herbal notes. Water makes it simpler, oilier and a little soapy but the oak has a lovely marzipan character now.

Palate: Smoky and earthy with plenty of undergrowth-like notes – truffles, liquorice and slightly decaying, mulchy herbs. Monstrous hit of rye on the middle carried in by the alcohol, but the rye spices sweetens rather pleasantly. With water it becomes less intense and oiler.

Finish: Long, fiery and spicy. The alcohol bites and makes the mouth water uncontrollably! With water it’s a bit bitter and woody.

Conclusion: Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! – Stunning!

Thomas H Handy Rye 64.6% (2014 Release)

Tasted: Feb 2015

Nose: Quite dark and treacly with rich, almost sherried dried fruit and seriously spicy oak. Gently violety rye nips along with hints of hops, salt, cherry, citrus and lightly fragrant spices. The intense tannins are a little on the gritty side, probably emphasised by the alcohol. With time the rye begins to show its herbal character. Water makes the aromas softer and spicier with hints of cinnamon, brown sugar, capsicum, bacon fat and some sour fruit. Quite manurey as well with an almost bretty character.

Palate: Quite dry and lightly tannic with rich oak and treacle. Hints of dusty, spicy rye appear along with a touch of dried fruit, but the alcohol masks. Water emphasises the wood, if it needed emphasising! Still very rich with more dried fruit and the herbal rye becoming more prominent.

Finish: Long and very herbal. Intense and woody with some biting spices, bitter coffee, liquorice and dark chocolate. Diluted the finish is still quite dry with a light marc-like note now noticeable.

Conclusion: Completely opposite in character and nature to the Millstone. Where that is soft and refined this is raw, duty and bitter

 

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Sazerac Rye 6 year old 45%           

Tasted: Feb 2008

Very intense, young, exuberant and peppery aromas. Biting rye grains come to the fore with a touch of violets, coffee and supporting oak.

Young and clean on the palate, quiet light with the crisp rye up first, followed by a very peppery middle, a touch of brown sugar, violets and oak. That lovely rye grain intensity runs through it nicely. Good length with an earthy after taste. It is not overly complex but it makes up for that with buckets of flavour and intensity.

Sazerac Straight Rye 45%

Re- Tasted: July 2013

The aromas are quite, thick, floral and syrupy sweet with violets, menthol and herbal notes. Young and edgy with plenty of sweet toffee’d oak and only a subtle rye spiciness. Wow, this is a lot thicker than I remember it and less spicy although with time some spiced orange, treacle and light cocoa notes appear.

Dense and thick with a touch of toasted corn and lazyoak vanillins. The gentle rye spices arrive to give it an edge along with hints of black pepper, cocoa, bitter chcoclate and treacle. Super smooth and deep, mind you have to wait for the layers of oak to part before the spicy rye can be found. Very long with an earthy, light rose petal marc-like note on the finish, but those soft, earthy spices linger.

Sazerac Rye 75^th Anniversary of Prohibition 45%

Single Cask Bottling for the Whisky Exchange

Tasted: Nov 2009

Huge and floral aromas of sweet rye grains, coffee, cocoa and violets. Monstrous amounts of toasted and charred vanilla, yet the youthful grains do balance it out. With time some late cyrstalised orange, earth, toffee and herbs put in an appearance.

The palate is surprisingly delicate, given the nose. Opening with the gentle toasted oak, rye and violets. This leads into a candy floss middle but the bitter oak and grains balance the sweetness and dries out the finish, which becomes very gritty. It actually feels like there are grains stuck in-between your teeth! Lovely length with the violets hanging in there and joined by spice and botanical notes at the end.

Sazerac Rye 18 year old (2007 Bottling) 45%            

Tasted: Feb 2008

A blend of Minnesota Rye, Kentucky Corn and North Dakota Malted Barley.

Huge, complex spicy aromas of crisp grain, oak, molasses, old leather and an abundance of slightly oily, delicious toffee. Thick and chewy with unbelievably spicy and powerful flavours – mint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, vanilla oak, leather, pepper and violets. Complex and sturdy the flavours come in waves and waves. One to sit and wallow in.

Sazerac 18 Years Old (?Fall 2011 Bottling) 45%

Tasted: Mar 2012

A stunningly beautiful, mature nose. Redolent of aged, oily Armagnac-esque dried fruit – prune, raisin. Wonderfully soft an aromatic with a good proportion of rye [obviously!] and some lovely mature oak adding plenty of peppery spices.

A venerable and gentle palate. The oak and spirit are in perfect harmony. The Rye soars majestically above a bed of oak and corn. Beautifully weighted with plenty of cinnamon laced dried fruit. Very long with some peppery, old marc-like notes.

 

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Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Kentucky Rye Whiskey 50%

Tasted: July 2014

Nose: A huge toffee hit! Sweet toffee coated flambéed banana, marzipan, fat corn and a light rye spice note which just about stops it from being too sweet.

Palate: Soft and full with plenty of sweet, sugary, caramelised dried fruit, fat corn and lightly peppery spice. Polished and intense with a serious alcohol bite.

Finish: An intense and earthy finish, with hints of violet and the spicy rye finally coming through. The oak dries and adds some bitter chocolate, but it’s a seriously impressive finale!

Conclusion: What can you say? Classy. I’d buy it for the finish alone!

 

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Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old Rye 47.8%

Tasted: Feb 2006

A lovely cognac-esque nose of sweet oak and crisp rye. With time it becomes exceedingly sweet and a bit spritiy. The palate is very dry and intense with plenty of crisp rye. Slightly floral, with a very earthy, dunnagey mid palate. Very long with the rye sharpness ever present and a developing violet note.

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Years Old, Family Reserve 53.5%

Tasted: Dec 2012

Nose: Quite tart and citrusy to begin with followed by a beautifully pure Java coffee note. The lightly nutty oak is subservient and allows the complexity of the spirit to shine with dried plums, blood orange rind, almond and brown sugar. The oak eventually begins to assert itself in a light fudgy manor. Still the nose keeps evolving with late hints of liquorice and earthy, peppery spices. Water makes the aromas quite oily with the nippy rye now released and it so luscious and warming. Almost perfection!

Palate: A huge Java coffee opening salvo, followed by some dried fruit conserve and dominating treacle laced wheat. Impressively dense and although the combination of alcohol and tannins mask, those tannins have a sublime cocoa quality. Water makes it become seriously moist and succulent. Just like the nose that lovely nippy rye has been released.

Finish: Quite peppery and like the palate rather masked. Water brings out the rose petal marc notes and maybe a tad more bitterness from the oak.

Conclusion: Absolutely stunning. I’d guess at a wheated bourbon? [tasted blind……!]

Pappy Van Winkle 20 Years Old, Family Reserve 45.2%

Tasted: Dec 2012

Nose: Intense, pungent, earth and again almost peated. Buckets of hard as nails rye and dark coffee grains. The oak has a beautiful supple, floral character and the depth is superb. With time some chocolate orange appears and the rye really asserts itself with a sweet spice/ pepper edge.

Palate: Intense but soft. Plenty of earthy rye to start with, which over rides the fluffy corn. The oils build along with some cherry and violet notes. Quite tannic on the middle and the oak has increased in density and now shows a resiny side to its character. Light treacle laps at the edges.

Finish: Wow! Mouth-watering dried fruit and oxidised notes. Bitter chocolate mingle with some rose petal marc. Quite tannic but the sugars wonderfully offset that bitterness.

Conclusion: Intense, pungent, mature and superb.

High West Distillery Tasting Notes

High West Rendezvous Rye 46%

A blend of 6 year old Rye (95% Rye/ 5% Barley) and 16 year old Rye (53% Rye/ 37% Corn)

Batch 12B21 Btl: 3338/ Tasted: July 2012

An intense nose of sharp, youthful-ish rye grains with hints of violets and slightly burnt, sweet, toffee’d oak. With time the oak becomes rather aggressively asserting adding a slight caramel note. Ver polished with a clean earthiness and a touch of tobacco. 

The palate is soft and a touch on the watery side. Very toffee’d with the rye being surprisingly lazy. The caramel/ toffee oak has rather dampened the spiciness but the rye does come through on the finish and I have to say that the palate is nowhere near as impressive as the nose. 

High West Double Rye 46%

A blend of 2 year old Rye (95% Rye/ 5% Barley) and 16 year old Rye (53% Rye/ 37% Corn)

Batch 5 Btl: 973/ Tasted: July 2012

Wow! A seriously astringent, young spicy rye nose. Almost peaty and seriously intense. Very herbal – juniper and spearmint and eucalyptus along with a balancing, sweet corn note. But it’s the spices that really impress – clove, cinnamon and anise. Seriously punchy and pungent. 

The palate is relatively soft but grippy. There is a touch of burnt toffee and the rye is again quite lazy. However unlike the Rendezvous it has a lovely complexity. The middle is awash with spice and wood tannin, but cutting through is a gorgeous citrus burst and with the rye biting on the finish it is a tad on the dry side, but I love this. Very long with hints of toffee and violet. A lot fresher than the Rendezvous with a lot more bite.