This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes with no strings attached.
If you ever wonder whether or not you are good at your job, just think about the poor Minnesota Legislature and the fact that they accidentally legalized THC edibles this summer because one party forgot to actually read the bill that they were voting on. But since a majority of citizens in my adopted home state wish they had gone further and just legalized marijuana, they can’t even take credit for doing what they accidentally did. If you can say that you are better at your job than that, I say that you’ve got it made.
I was thinking about that tonight as I was playing a little Pink Floyd on my new turntable. For…no reason.
I kid, obviously. I was actually thinking about it because I was working on some banner ads. I hate making banner ads because I hate seeing them. (There is a reason I don’t put ads on this site.) Not only that, but I’m not terribly good at them. But people keep hiring me to do it, so…at least I’m better at the job than the Minnesota Legislature?
Oh, speaking of…vote for people next Tuesday that will actually do their job and read the damn bills that they are voting on, ok? I won’t tell you which party to vote for (you probably already know my leanings), but regardless, we should be hiring people who, at the bare minimum, can do the reading part of their job.
Anyway, now that I’m all worked up. Who wants a drink?
Tonight, I’m looking at a whiskey that I have walked past for years. Literally years. I saw that it was listed as two years old on the back and just didn’t feel like giving it a chance. Even if it does look to be sourced from MGP, my favorite distillery for rye. They sent it along with a more expensive new release so that I would have a baseline to compare with the new one. As I hadn’t had either before, I thought that was pretty smart. So let’s dig in.
Redemption Rye
Purchase Info: This bottle was provided for review purposes at no cost. It goes for $27.99 at my nearest Total Wine.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.87
Details: 2 years old. 46% ABV. Mash bill: 95% Rye and 5% Malted Barley.
Nose: Spearmint, herbal dill, and bubblegum.
Mouth: Gum from a pack of 1980's baseball cards (yes, I'm old. If you aren't, think bubblegum with hints of cardboard, but in a good way), spearmint, nutmeg, and almond.
Finish: On the shorter side of medium. Notes of mint, cinnamon, and caramel.
Thoughts: This is an ok Rye whiskey that I will happily finish but probably wouldn't buy again unless it is on sale. It's a pretty sweet and gentle rye. Which isn't typically what I look for in rye whiskey. However, it does work ok in rye cocktails. I tested it in a Sazerac and an Old Fashioned, and it worked fine in both as long as you adjusted the other ingredients to account for the fact that this is a little gentler than other ryes I’d usually use. Overall, not bad, just kinda meh. I’m excited to try the other bottle they sent now that I have this as a baseline. Check back next week to see how the more expensive version fairs. (How’s that for a tease?)
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