Jack Daniel's Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

November 2, 2017 Eric Burke

Do you ever notice that those times that you miss a text message coming in are exactly those times that you want to answer the message right away?

I'd been keeping an eye out for the Jack Daniel's Rye since the press release announcing it came out on September 6th. It was just before we headed to Tennessee and Kentucky, so I thought there might be a better than average chance that I could grab a bottle before I could get it here at home. I was wrong. I never saw it.

But my wife and I decided to keep an eye out for it. I mean I absolutely loved the Jack Single Barrel rye, so I thought I might enjoy this version as well. So one day, I'm working, and despite the fact that I get my text messages on my Mac and the fact that I also had my phone right next to me, I missed the photo come that said: "did you want me to grab this?"

Of course, I did. And of course, by the time I realized the message was there and answered, my wife had left the store. And when I called her to see if by chance she had picked it up, she hadn't. And I was told in no uncertain terms that she was not turning around and going back for it. But being the wonderful person that she is, she offered to stop at another location of the same store that was on her way home. While she was there, she also picked up the bottle of Basil Hayden's Dark Rye that I reviewed on Tuesday.

So what is Jack Daniel's Rye? What makes it different than all the other ryes on the market? Well for starters, the mash bill is different than the two most prevalent styles. Most of the Kentucky rye clocks in barely qualifying as a rye with 51% of its mash bill being rye grain, a small amount of barley and the rest corn. Most of the rest of the rest of the rye is sourced from MGP in Indiana, and for the longest time, the only one they sold was 95% rye grain and 5% barley. Jack Daniel's Rye splits the difference with a mash bill that is 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley.

The other major difference is the charcoal "mellowing" that the distillate goes through before being barreled. Just like standard Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, this goes through the Lincoln County Process.

So, how does it taste?

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: $29.99 for a 750 mL at Lakeville Liquors, Lakeville, MN.

Details: 45% ABV.

Nose: Wintergreen, cherry candy, and delicate baking spice.

Mouth: Wintergreen, cinnamon red hots, banana, and baking spice.

Finish: Medium length with lingering wintergreen and baking spice notes.

Thoughts: I like this quite a bit. Sure, it's on the gentle side and the Jack Daniel's "banana note" rears its head. But all in all, this is a nice, affordable, change of pace from the Kentucky style "barely legal" 51% rye and the 95% MGP style rye that otherwise dominate the marketplace. And it is nice to have other options that we can afford out there. Plus it does ok in cocktails too.

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MB Roland Straight Rye Whiskey

October 26, 2017 Eric Burke

Disclaimer: Paul and Merry Beth of MB Roland are my friends. And in my statement of ethics I promised to disclose when I am reviewing one of my friend’s products and to only review them when it was truly something I really liked. This is one of those times.

At this point, I have been married almost half of my life. And by almost, I mean within a few months or so of half my life. The great thing about hitting a milestone anniversary is that people give you things. In this case, my friends at MB Roland gave me a bottle of their new Straight Rye Whiskey.

This batch of rye is MB Roland's first straight Rye Whiskey. And when I got it, it was damn near fresh from the barrel. One of the cool things about these guys is that they sell all their whiskey at barrel proof so this Rye was dumped and bottled on one day and in my hands the next. That's pretty cool.

This bottle wasn't given to me as a review sample, but since I am always on the lookout for content that I didn't need to buy, I warned them that I might be reviewing it. But, friends or not, I give these things honest reviews. So let's get down to it.

MB Roland Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: This was an anniversary gift from friends. I have no idea what it would cost. I got one of 90 bottles though from this batch if that helps.

Details: Batch 1. Bottle 74 of 90. 54.7% ABV. Mashbill: 68% Rye, 27% White Corn, 5% Malt. Aged in a New Charred oak barrel with a #4 char.

Nose: Anise, clove, brown sugar, unroasted peanuts, mint, and green apple.

Mouth: Brown sugar, mint, and baking spices such as clove and cinnamon.

Finish: Warm and long with lingering notes of mint, anise, and cinnamon. The finish is where the distinctive flavor of the MB Roland white corn note appears.

Thoughts: This is not nearly as hot as you would expect from a roughly 110 proof whiskey to be. It is extremely drinkable neat. So much so that it shocked my wife when I told her what the proof was as we did our tasting. I'm digging this neat, but I also like it in cocktails. I've tried it in a Sazerac, a Manhattan, a variant on a Boulevardier, and a Whiskey Sour. It did well in the Manhattan, the Sazerac and the Boulevardier riff. It wasn't great in the Whiskey Sour though, so if making cocktails with this, I would recommend sticking with cocktails that will play off the anise note in there. Overall, if you have liked other MB Roland whiskeys, you will like this as well.

Basil Hayden's Rye Whiskey

May 30, 2017 Eric Burke

Last week, I went to one of my two favorite liquor stores. It's weird. I almost never go there because, although it is relatively close to my house, I have to go a little out of my way to get there. Plus there have been more than a few occasions where I went in for a six pack of beer and walked out having spent $150 when I got the beer and an extra bottle or two of whiskey that I just couldn't live without.

While my last trip there didn't end in me spending quite so much, I did walk out with a whiskey that I hadn't planned on buying when I went in. And boy, is this whiskey a controversial one. At least if you judge by the Twitter replies I got when I mentioned that I'd be reviewing it. I almost never get people telling me anything about a whiskey when I pre-announce a review, but this time I got quite a few, and they had me joyfully dreading my upcoming tasting. I like tasting bad whiskey almost as much as I enjoy drinking good whiskey.

Here are a few of my favorites. I love conversations about whiskey.

@OBGyeayouknowme sent me a yawn gif (which I recognize from somewhere but can't remember where and it has been bugging me ever since).

@BourbonFanboy told me it had "notes of grass and misery." (I like this one, it's clever.)

@ryewhiskeylover told me to take it back and then buy a Booker's Rye. (ummm...cool? Show me an overpriced unicorn and I'll...still never spend $300 on a whiskey).

And then I had the distinct honor of being screamed at by a dude who I blocked after about the third post in what may have been an epic Twitter rant. It started with the statement of it being shit, moved into telling me to F*** my review because it is the worst rye this person had ever had.

But hey, I'm not going to let one angry guy, and a bunch of amusing ones tell me what to do. I buy whiskey for me, but also for you. If it's bad, then you will know not to buy it. And if it's good? Well, then I have something tasty to drink. We all win.

So...were they right?

Basil Hayden's Rye Whiskey

Purchase info: $44.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Blue Max, Burnsville, MN

Details: 40% ABV, 2017 Release. Noticeable lack of the word "straight" on the label.

Nose: Fresh cut grass, spearmint, citrus and a gentle spice.

Mouth: Grassy with spearmint, black pepper, and oak.

Finish: Spicy but short with lingering baking spice and oak.

Thoughts: Well, BourbonFanboy was half right, it certainly was grassy. I tasted almost no misery though.

But seriously, this reminds me a lot of Old Overholt. It's better than Old Overholt but similar. And the similarity isn't terribly surprising. Basil Hayden could be called a premium-priced version of Old GrandDad so why shouldn't Basil Hayden Rye be a premium-priced version of Old Overholt? Like Old Overholt, this works ok in a Manhatten if you cut down the amount of vermouth you use. Now, I don't mind Old Overholt, but as a $45 product, I find this to be a dud of a rye.

One of the thoughts I had while tasting this is that this is not a product that was put out with me in mind. I'm an experienced whiskey enthusiast with a well-developed palate. Basil Hayden's Bourbon is a great bourbon for the bourbon novice. Someone who is looking for a step up, but hasn't quite developed the palate for high proof whiskey. My wife was just such a person for a long time. Now she loves Old GrandDad 114 instead. Basil Hayden's Rye seems like the same thing. If you are new to rye, this would be a fine step up from Old Overholt and an ok example of the non-MGP style of rye.

So here is my verdict: if you are a big Basil Hayden fan, give this a try. If, like many, you find Basil Hayden to be too overpriced and too low proof, then give this a hard pass.

Ezra Brooks Rye

February 28, 2017 Eric Burke

I state in my Statement of Ethics that if I accept a review sample, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. Please consider it disclosed. I’d like to thank Common Ground PR for providing this sample to me with no strings attached.

About a month ago, an email landed in my inbox announcing the new Ezra Brooks Rye. I was curious, but then I saw the Distilled in Indiana prominently on the front label. I needed content, and I love MGP's 95% Rye whiskey, but I wasn't sure that reviewing yet another would be all that interesting. Ultimately, I decided to pull the trigger and see about getting a sample sent, mostly because I'm liking the moves that Luxco is making lately.

When I opened the box and saw that the product was only two years old, my expectations for this whiskey sank a bit. I know that rye performs better at a young age than bourbon does, but in the past, I have not been a fan of the ones I've had.

I decided to spend a couple of weeks with this before writing my review. As they were kind enough to send a full bottle, the least I could do was run it through its paces in a variety of situations and glasses.

From my first taste, I noticed something about this. It didn't really taste like your typical 95% MGP rye. There were certain family resemblances, to be sure. But it wasn't quite right, which got me to thinking.

A few of years ago, April-ish of 2013 to dial that in a bit, MGP Ingredients announced they were expanding the number of whiskey recipes that they would be producing and offering to their customers. Included in that announcement were the following:*

A Rye whiskey made from 51% rye and 49% barley malt
A Rye whiskey made from 51% rye, 45% corn and 4% barley malt

As production was scheduled to start later that April, the very first product off the still would be a few months shy of four years old now. Plenty old enough to blend a few different barrels together and end up with a product that had to be called two years old (remember you have to go by the youngest whiskey in the bottle).

Is Ezra Brooks Rye one of the new MGP rye recipes? I reached out to Luxco's PR Agency for comment, and they were unwilling to give exact mash bill info. They did say that there was a little corn in the recipe, though. And that leads me to believe that at least some of the juice is the second recipe above. Is it all that recipe? Is there a mingling of two or three rye mash bills? No idea. What I do know is that it's from Indiana and has rye and corn in it.

Oh, and that it tastes pretty good in spite of its age.

Ezra Brooks Rye

Purchase info: This sample was provided by Common Ground PR, but I've seen it listed online for less than $20 for a 750 mL.

Details: Two years old. 45% ABV.

Nose: Cinnamon red hots, soap, brown sugar, and a faint citrus note.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy. Honey, cinnamon red hots, clove, ginger, and lemon zest.

Finish: Medium length with lingering ginger and lemon zest.

Thoughts: This is young, but tastes pretty good in spite of that. I'm really enjoying the almost "ginger beer" quality of the ginger and lemon zest notes. I tried this in a couple of cocktails, and it got a bit lost. But on the other hand, I've enjoyed almost half the bottle neat to this point, so that says something I guess. If you see this somewhere, I'd recommend giving it a try.

UPDATE: This post contains an update to clarify who's PR Agency confirmed the use of corn in the mashbill.

*Sources:
MGPingredients.com News Release. (Accessed 2/28/17)

Rabbit Hole Distilling, Bourbon and Rye

December 27, 2016 Eric Burke

I state in my Statement of Ethics that if I accept a review sample, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. Rabbit Hole Distilling provided me with two media kits, each with a logo Glencairn glass and a 1.5-ounce sample (one was rye, one bourbon). I'd like to thank them for providing the sample with no strings attached.

It's the first post after Christmas, and it's only fitting that I review a couple of whiskeys that I received for free. Both of these are from Rabbit Hole Distilling in Louisville, KY. Since their founding in 2012, they have been using a combination of contract distillation and sourcing to get the liquid for their whiskeys. Contract distillation for their rye and bourbon and sourcing for their "Fingerprint Series." In October 2016, they broke ground for a 20,000 barrel-per-year distillery in Louisville.

Tonight I'll be looking at their rye whiskey and their bourbon. Both are two years old and were created by a team of distillers. Cameron Tally, formerly of Brown-Forman and Wild Turkey, Larry Ebersold formerly of Seagram's and Pernod-Ricard, Dave Scheurich, formerly of Brown-Forman and Randy Allender, formerly of Jim Beam. The Rabbit Hole Rye is a 95% rye mash bill, which through me for a loop until I realized that Mr. Ebersold was Master Distiller at the distillery now known as MGPi (which is most well known for the 95% rye whiskey they sell to many producers). The Rabbit Hole Bourbon has a unique mash bill of 70% corn, 10% malted wheat, 10% malted barley and 10% honey malted barley.

Rabbit Hole Bourbon

Purchase info: I received a review sample, but this is retailing for $41.99 at Total Wine in Louisville, KY.

Details: 47.5% ABV. 2 years old. Aged in #3 char barrels from Kelvin Cooperage. Barrel entry proof was 110° proof. Mash bill of 70% corn, 10% malted wheat, 10% malted barley and 10% honey malted barley.

Nose: Very young and heavy on the grain. Mint and floral notes predominate with cinnamon underneath.

Mouth: Floral grains, mint, and cinnamon candies.

Finish: Short to medium with lingering floral grains and cinnamon candies.

Thoughts: Due to the intriguing mash bill, this was the whiskey that I was most interested in trying. And while it isn't ready yet, it shows a lot of promise. Give this a few more years in the barrel, and I'll probably be bringing some home with me when I visit Kentucky. For now, though, I'd have a hard time recommending this except as a novelty or if you are a fan of very young bourbons.

Rabbit Hole Rye Whiskey

Purchase info: I received a review sample, but this is retailing for $49.99 at Total Wine in Louisville, KY.

Details: 47.5% ABV. 2 years old. Aged in #3 char barrels from Kelvin Cooperage. Barrel entry proof was 110° proof. Mash bill of 95% rye, 5% malted barley.

Nose: Mint, cedar, hints of pickle and vanilla.

Mouth: floral mint, cedar, vanilla and baking spices.

Finish: Minty and warm. Of short to medium length.

Thoughts: Like many rye whiskeys, this shows better at a young age than the bourbon did. It's similar to a young MGPi rye, not surprising due to its mash bill and pedigree. It's still really young, but worth a look if you are a fan of young ryes and are ok with a $50 price tag.

EDIT: an earlier version of this post claimed that the ABV of both whiskies was 95%, I forgot to do math and didn't convert the proof to ABV. That has been corrected.

For some reason, people never know what to get me for Christmas, and so they give me money. If you are like me and got a little money for Christmas, maybe check out my Etsy store at BourbonGuyGifts.com. From now until January 31st, 2017 we are celebrating the New Year with $20.17 off of any purchase of $100 or more. Just use the code HAPPY2017 at checkout. Or if you'd rather just donate to the site, visit patreon.com/arok to become a monthly patron. Thanks for reading!

Limited Release Premixed Cocktail: Orange Label Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye, 100 proof

September 6, 2016 Eric Burke

Limited Release Orange Label, 100 proof Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye

It is my wife's birthday tonight. The one night per year where if I am going to be lazy about serving her a cocktail, I had better be serving something good. Something with a good whiskey presence. My wife knows her whiskey and I can't slip something subpar past her—not that I'd try mind you.

Luckily, I saw an email a few weeks ago from Ace Spirits that said they had this in stock. I ran up to Hopkins the next day and picked up a bottle. Immediately upon trying my first sip, I tweeted :

Picked up a bottle of limited edition 100 proof Low & Slow Rock n Rye @AceSpirits. Wow! Look for the orange label on this one. Very good!
— Eric Burke (@arok) August 26, 2016

Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock and Rye, Limited Orange Label, 100 proof

Purchase info: $36.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: Made with 8 year old whiskey, 50% ABV.

Nose: Orange zest with floral notes backing it. You can tell there is whiskey in here.

Mouth: Warm in the mouth with orange zest, honey and light floral notes. Once again, you can tell there is whiskey in there though it isn't the main flavor component.

Finish: Lingering orange floral notes

Thoughts: Wow! This is amazing. The regular Slow & Low made me want to try making my own. This makes me realize that I don't need to, not while I have this bottle at least. The orange label is much less sweet than the black label and has much more whiskey presence. It holds up to ice well, but is tasty enough right out of the bottle as well.

If you find this and like orange with your whiskey, pick it up. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Premixed Cocktail: Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye

September 1, 2016 Eric Burke

It should come as no surprise by now that I like cocktails. Especially if they have whiskey in them. Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Toronto, Whiskey Smash, Sazerac are among the favorites in my house and Michael Dietsch’s Whiskey cocktail book is never far from where I keep the cocktail making equipment.

It was during my research for the review of that book that I noticed the Rock and Rye batched cocktail recipe in the book. Which reminded me that there is a bottled version for sale as well. I’d never had a Rock and Rye in any form so before I committed an entire bottle of whiskey to the endeavor of making my own, I decided to pick up a bottle and make sure it was something I might want to try making for myself.

Which is how I ended up with a bottle of Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye. This is the regular release black label version. I picked up the limited release orange label as well, but that will have to wait for another post.

Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye

Purchase Info: $17.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndal Liquors, Minneapolis, MN

Details: 42% ABV

Nose: Honey and bitter orange peel

Mouth: Honey, orange zest and an alcohol bite

Finish: Some whiskey shows up in the finish along with lingering orange zest. There is a nice warmth that settles in the chest.

Thoughts: This is very tasty. And it’s a cocktail that I don’t have to make before I enjoy it. It is very sweet so giving it a chill helps it out. It’s good over ice, but I just keep mine in the fridge so I don’t need to dilute it. After trying this, I would say that I’d be happy to donate a bottle to trying to make some for myself.

Getting Geeky With Union Horse Distilling Company, Part Two: The Reviews

July 28, 2016 Eric Burke

As I state in my Statement of Ethics, I seldom accept review samples. And that if I do, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. Please consider it disclosed. I would like to thank FleishmanHillard for putting me into contact with the distillery and providing the bottles being discussed and reviewed this week.

Union Horse Reserve Bourbon and Union Horse Reunion Rye

On Tuesday I posted Part One of this post where the Patrick Garcia, Master Distiller of Union Horse Distilling Company and Damian Garcia, Director of Sales and Marketing for Union Horse Distilling Company were kind enough to get geeky with us by answering questions drawn from both myself and Patreon submissions.

Looking back on their answers, I really like how they are doing things so in tonight's post, let's see how much I like the whiskey.

Union Horse Reunion Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: This bottle was not purchased and was instead provided by FleishmanHillard, the PR firm representing Union Horse for review purposes.

Details: 100% Rye Mash (using enzymes to break down the starch instead of malt). 46.5% ABV. Two year age stated. Batch 1. Bottle 1177.

Nose: Toffee, mint, baked bread, and grain

Mouth: Bold and flavorful. Spicy, showing both cinnamon and clove as well as cayenne. Mint extract and grain flavors are present as well, though not as much as I'd expect from the nose.

Finish: Medium length with a nice spice. Lingering grain and mint flavors.

Thoughts: This is one where it had to grow on me. In my initial tasting, I felt it tasted a bit young. After spending almost a month with it, I've warmed up to it. This certainly is a unique whiskey and is outside the normal American Straight Rye flavor profile, which threw me at first. But I've come around. I've tried it neat, with some ice and in cocktails and have enjoyed it in all three. It still tastes a bit young, but not terribly so. I like this. It's a unique product that actually tastes pretty good too.

Union Horse Reserve Straight Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was not purchased and was instead provided by FleishmanHillard, the PR firm representing Union Horse for review purposes.

Details: Corn and Rye Mash (using enzymes to break down the starch instead of malt). 46% ABV. Two year age stated. Batch 2. Bottle 1068.

Nose: Caramel and mint along with faint notes of bubble gum, soil and barrel char.

Mouth: Vanilla and butterscotch, along with cinnamon, cloves, campfire smoke and sweet malt.

Finish: Medium length with lingering mint, smoke and malty flavors.

Thoughts: I am not a fan of smoky whiskey. I can appreciate it, but seldom like it if it is too pronounced. In this case, the smoke flavors are just light enough that it doesn't bother me too much. My wife on the other hand likes this a lot and has been the primary consumer of the bottle above.

Blog

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

MB Roland Rye Whiskey

Basil Hayden's Rye Whiskey

Ezra Brooks Rye

Rabbit Hole Bourbon

Rabbit Hole Rye Whiskey

Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock and Rye, Limited Orange Label, 100 proof

Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye

Union Horse Reunion Straight Rye Whiskey

Union Horse Reserve Straight Bourbon