Boone's Bourbon

I’d like to thank Clarion Call Media for setting up the interview with Tyler Boone and for providing the review sample with no strings attached.

I get a lot of press releases that come across my desk from small producers. Most of them are get a quick skim and press of the delete button. Occasionally though something catches my attention. At that point, I give it a more thorough read through to see what made me stop and take notice. Of course, by now, I’m hooked. They have me interested. And I always figure that if I am interested, then you may be too.

The thing about the press release for tonight’s bourbon that interested me was that it was almost as much a press release for a music video as it was for a bourbon. I love music. Any music. It doesn’t matter the genre as I have very eclectic tastes. So I listened to the song, watched the video and was intrigued. I reached out to the PR company to see if there was a review sample of the bourbon available. There was. They also arranged for an interview with musician Tyler Boone, the man behind Boone’s Bourbon.

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ERIC: First off, congratulations on the new video release, I took a listen and I really like it.

Now, there have been a number of whiskey brands that have been released in recent years in collaboration with musicians. Metallica has their Blackened Whiskey, Drake has his Virginia Black Whiskey, Willie Nelson had Old Whiskey River Bourbon, and Bob Dylan has the Heaven’s Door line of whiskeys. Just to name a few. As a musician that has his own bourbon brand, what is the draw here? Is it just celebrity endorsement, a vanity project, or is there a real connection between whiskey and music?

TYLER: Thank you for the special congrats! This has been a love project of mine since 2015 when I had a major "music row management deal" in Nashville coming my way from the likes of Kenny Chesney's people. My music doesn't even come close to "bro country" so obviously I turned down the deal but it sparked interest from another party (who wasn't even in the music industry) for me to start a "spirits brand." The deal was for me to figure it all out, such as all the compliances, registering, licenses etc...and how to even create the "juice" and then they would fund it. Sounds easy right? Nope, sure wasn't (lol).

With my last name being "Boone" I figured "Boone's Bourbon" would be PERFECT & on top of that to have REAL bourbon in the bottle & not whiskey. I was going to launch this collaboration with Tenn South Distillery out of Lynnville, TN but the investor never had the money to start this venture so we had to move on from this idea.

Shortly after I moved back to Charleston, SC, where I'm from, for special eye surgery and while I was recovering I founded Striped Pig Distillery & contacted them about my idea of starting my own brand. After another year of saving and this time partnering up with my Father (Michael Boone), we raised the capital and started our own family mash bill with the distillers from Striped Pig Distillery! It was such an exciting time. Boone's Bourbon - 1st day of bottling (April 2018)

In just under 2 years due to my music touring and constant work habits (lol) we have partnered with Local Choice Spirits landed in 8 states (38 states available for online orders) and should be launching into many more this 2020. 

The idea is for me specifically that when you are at a show, most people have a drink in their hand right? Well, why not make that our drink (the artist) and with authenticity grow your brand to not just the music fans but to the ever-growing "bourbon" world. I think we are doing a pretty amazing job with it so far.

ERIC: How involved were you in the process of production? Was it a case of describing what you wanted or did you “roll up your sleeves” and get involved in the actual production process?

TYLER: 100% - I was the person who chose the proof (we are 117% proof) and the mash bill before even my Father got involved. Our mash bill is 75% corn (which is usual for most bourbons) 21% rye & 4% barley. Of course, Striped Pig helped with this but I made the final decision.

Our promo video that we still use constantly is of the 1st actual day (April 2018) of the bottling line, boxing, us tasting, everything. We also used to fill the mini bottles (50ml) by hand but we finally just bought a machine to help with the 50s. It's pretty cool.

Just to note how our operation works. My Father and I work the brand every day whether that being tastings, bookings, reaching out to retailers, our distributors, socials and then Local Choice Spirits fulfills the orders and alerts us when we need to bottle again. It's us running a small business.

ERIC: Getting to the bourbon itself, this is a six-month-old bourbon, which traditionally is a little on the young side. Frankly I was expecting the bourbon to be terrible at that age, but it isn’t. Take us through the thought process that resulted in the bourbon being released at what would usually be considered a very young age.

TYLER: First off, thank you. We always get that and & we are very proud of it. 

When we started "Boone's Bourbon" this was a 5 year aged product from Striped Pig Distillery that we then changed the mash bill on. Once those barrels dried up we were already in so many states we then had to switch to MGP for allocating due to the demand & because of this, we had to switch the age statement on the back. It is always AT LEAST 6 months but there can be 1 year in there. Our process now goes MGP, then Terressentia (my business partner & music manager Pixie Paula is the majority shareholder over there) for their TERREPURE process, then back to Striped Pig for tasting & our final touches before we bottle & ship out.

We are 100% honest about this process & happy to be apart of the MGP family. They make some of the most incredible products out there.

ERIC: 117° proof! That is a hefty proof! Talk about what lead to that decision. High proof means less profit since you aren’t cutting it with as much water, so it seems this was a "whiskey decision" not a business decision.

TYLER: This was my final decision. I wanted something different, more original & to stand out from the rest. Everyone is usually a safe 80 proof and maybe it's the "rock n roll" in me where it’s “let's push the envelope a little” and see how the market takes it. It's the 1st thing everyone notices...but after tasting about 2-3 seconds people's faces change to a happy "wow, wasn't expecting that." I call it "it's for bourbon drinkers who like to taste their alcohol" :) 

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Boone's Bourbon

Purchase info: This review was graciously provided for review purposes. I see that it is available for sale for $36.99 at Total Wine in Tennessee.

Prince per Drink (50 mL): $2.47 (based on the pricing above)

Details: 58.5% ABV. MGP mash bill of 75% corn,21% rye, 4% barley “at least 6 months” that then undergoes the Terre Pure process.

Nose: Caramel, buttered popcorn with a slight vegetal undertone

Mouth: Warm cinnamon, buttered popcorn, lemon.

Finish: Medium heat and length. lingering notes of caramel, green tea, and lemon.

Thoughts: This is the best TerrePure product that I've had. That, of course, is a low bar to clear (the first was spit it out and the second was dumped out). That said, this is not a terrible bourbon. However, that doesn't mean that this is a good bourbon. I'm giving it a meh. This is a serviceable well bourbon for cocktails where the bourbon isn’t the main flavor component. I tried it in both a whiskey sour and in a boulevardier. It performed much better when paired with other strongly flavored liquors.

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Artist Tyler Boone and his official music video for "Jealousy" Find him at: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Rj1i72Y5eJHan2pm2cqKz?si=M2bN5WhkRb2VLbtgGGOuDQ www.facebook.com/tylerboonemusic www.instagram.com/tylerbooner www.twitter.com/tylerbooner www.tylerboonemusic.com www.drinkboonesbourbon.com

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Old Fitzgerald Prime Bourbon: Revisited

It has been two thousand, one hundred and twelve days since I last reviewed Old Fitzgerald Prime. It was during the first edition of the Bottom Shelf Brackets. Back then, Old Fitzgerald was the name that Heaven Hill sold their wheated recipe under. It was available in most of the US in both a bottled in bond version and an 80° proof “Prime” version.

Over the course of the last five to six years, Heaven Hill released Larceny as their new flagship wheated label and pulled Old Fitzgerald Prime back to being sold in a very small and select number of states. They also discontinued the affordable Bottled in Bond version and in the last few years, started to release a yearly luxury release of Limited Edition Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond. Its been a busy few years for the brand that Pappy started so many years ago.

Back in 2014, I had this to say about it:

This is a tv watching bourbon. It’s something to sip that tastes good for when you don’t want to concentrate on, or think too hard about your bourbon. It wouldn’t be my first choice for a pour, but I’d be happy enough to have it brought to me.

Let’s see how it holds up, shall we?

Old Fitzgerald Prime

Purchase Info: $16.99 for a 750 mL bottle, The Party Source, Bellevue, KY

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.13

Details: 40% ABV, NAS

Nose: Spearmint, bubble gum, hints of baking spice

Mouth: Caramel, baking spice, hints of mint

Finish: Short and gentle with notes of cinnamon and caramel.

Thoughts: This is a very gentle bourbon. A decent enough sipper in a pinch if you aren't a proof-chaser. If like me, you like a little more heat in your bourbon, you might find this more than a little on the tame side. But the flavors that are there are very good and I agree with 2014 me. This would work just fine when you are playing cards, bullshitting with a group of friends, and not really paying attention to what is in your glass. I’m giving this one a meh. But I wouldn’t fault you at all if you liked this or even if it was your favorite. My rating comes solely down to how gentle it is.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Old Forester 1910: Old Fine Whisky

Every so often, mania gets ahead of reality. Oh, who am I kidding? This is the whiskey world, mania always gets ahead of reality. In this case, however, I found the demand very strange. Every release of Old Forester’s Whisky Row series has been readily available (at least in my area). There has never been a shortage of them or a time when you couldn’t find them just sitting on the shelf — not even 1920, which was the best of the bunch.

But for some reason, 1910 was different. The first batch quickly sold out everywhere. When it came back, because it sold out so quickly, some of my local stores decided that they needed to throw it in their lottery pile. Which, cool for them, I guess, but I just checked online, and you can go to at least one Total Wine location and pick it up off the shelf.

So what makes this bourbon so sought after? Well…I have no idea. It is finished in a second barrel, but that is hardly new. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and Jim Beam Double Oak have both been on the market for quite a while now. Maybe the company website can shed some light on this:

On October 22nd. 1910, a fire on the bottling line halted production of Old Forester. Mature whisky ready to be bottled, instead was stored in a secondary barrel. What emerged was a delightful whisky, remarkable enough to become an entirely new expressions – Old Fine Whisky.

Today mimicking this historic bottling, this unique expression of Old Forester has undergone a second barreling, granting it exceptional character, a smooth and sweet flavor and a clean, crisp finish. Entering the second barrel at a low 100 proof allows more of the sweet wood sugars to dissolve into the whiskey. 1910 Old Fine Whiskey is the fourth and final expression of the Whiskey Row Series, presented at 93 proof.

Not really much insight there. I mean a low entry proof for the second barreling is interesting, but can hardly be the reason that this is in such high demand. I’d guess that it might be because 1920, the previous release, was so good, but that expression has rarely, if ever, been out of stock. So I’m left with mania as the only excuse I can think of. It got popular because some people were interested and then as it started to sell, more people got interested, and things got out of control. I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess it’s an all too familiar story in the whiskey world.

Old Forester 1910: Old Fine Whisky

Purchase Info: $58.99 for a 750 mL bottle at the Old Forester Distillery gift shop, Louisville, KY.

Price per Drink (50mL): $3.93

Details: 46.5% ABV

Nose: Cherry cough syrup, cocoa, vanilla and caramel

Mouth: Vanilla, caramel, cherry cough syrup

Finish: Warm and fruity with lingering strong cherry and sweetness

Thoughts: This is one of those bourbons that I like a lot less in a Glencairn than I do in a rocks glass. The Glencairn accentuates the cherry notes making it feel like you are taking notes on Robitussin. In a rocks glass, the cherry flavors are more muted and don't overpower the drink as much. I dislike this in the nosing glass, but in a rocks glass, it is merely meh. It’s too fruity for my tastes, but there is nothing actually wrong with it.

In the end, I guess I don’t mind that it is/has been hard to find. I prefer the more easily found 1920 and in the future, will be picking that one up instead.

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!

Four Gate Whiskey Company: Release 2, Outer Loop Orbit

I’d like to thank Four Gate Whiskey Company for providing a review sample with no strings attached.

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Hey everyone! My tastebuds are back! And just as importantly, so are my wife’s. And since we put off tonight’s tasting until the very last minute in order to allow us both maximum time to recover, I decided to spring an interesting one on her to celebrate our newly recovered tastebuds.

That’s right, unlike normal, you are getting the raw unfiltered impressions of this one with no time to think about it in between tasting and writing. Of course, that also means that I didn’t really have a lot of time to come up with an intro so…cut me a little slack on that front. Ok?

Great.

So I first became aware of Four Gate Whiskey Company on social media. It turns out one of the folks involved and I followed each other. And so he reached out to me to see if I would like a sample of their batch 1. Unfortunately for him, he asked on twitter just after I essentially left the platform as an active user and I never saw the message he sent to me until about a month later. I apologized and told him to keep me in mind for the future.

Fast forward a few months and all of a sudden a sample that I wasn’t expecting showed up. And this one sounded super interesting, though maybe a little scary. It was a bourbon that was finished in a barrel that had originally held Orange Curaçao and then held gin. Here’s what the distillery has to say:

When we met at Kelvin Cooperage to discuss our second batch, William Hornaday told us about some very interesting barrels in his warehouse that he wanted us to check out. Originally Orange Curaçao barrels, a local distiller then used them to finish a batch of gin. That’s right, gin. We had no idea what to expect, but when we smelled these barrels, they blew us away. The sticky sweetness of Orange Curaçao was tamed somewhat by the sharpness of the botanical gin, creating an aroma that smelled straight out of the 80s and harkened to a rather popular powdered orange drink made famous on the 1962 Mercury Mission when astronaut John Glenn took it to outer space. The tangy-orange notes of the barrels were screaming out for bourbon, and we listened.

Four Gate Whiskey Company: Release 2, Outer Loop Orbit

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided for review purposes by the distillery. It was available for purchase in Kentucky and Tennessee starting in September for a suggested retail price of $199.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price Per Drink (50ml): $13.33

Details: Blend of 5-year bourbon (mash bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley) and 12-year bourbon (mash bill: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley). Non-chill filtered. Finished in a cask that previously held Orange Curaçao and then Gin. 60.15% ABV.

Nose: spearmint, orange, almond, pine, and caramel undertones.

Mouth: Pine, orange, almond, baking spice

Finish: warm and medium/long. Lingering notes of almond, cinnamon, and pine-

Thoughts: Goodness, this is weird! Initially, the orange and gin notes overwhelm the nose and palate. After subsequent sips, more bourbon notes appear providing a little more balance.

I’m of two minds about this one. (I told you that you were getting real-time thoughts on this one.) First I’ll say that this is a certainly a drink for the adventurous bourbon drinker. Traditionalists need not apply. And even so, maybe try this one in a bar if you see it before you commit to a bottle. When I first tasted this in a Glencairn, I really didn’t like it. It just didn’t seem to come together for me. But once I poured it into one of the small rocks glasses that I would usually use to drink bourbon, I didn’t mind it at all. It almost reminded me of the herbal notes that an MGP 95% Rye would get. Not exactly, but reminiscent. As I said, I’m of two minds. I’ve had two separate 1 ounce pours tonight and I still can’t decide if I like it or not. I think I’m going to throw this down as a meh as there is nothing wrong with it, but based on tonight’s experience I don’t think it is for me. That said, I really applaud the experimentation and if you are an adventurous bourbon drinker, it is certainly worth a try as it is super interesting.

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Old Medley 12-Year-Old Bourbon: Revisited

Next week I leave for a long anticipated vacation to Kentucky. While I’m there I’m planning to attend the both the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and Bourbon & Beyond. It is an especially full vacation filled with events, friends, shopping, music, camping, and of course bourbon. To be honest, I’ve been on vacation mode for most of the last week.

I last reviewed Old Medley 12-year-old seventeen hundred and eighty days ago, just shy of five years. At the time I thought it was fine, but over priced. I rated it a meh. The commenters were of mixed opinions as well.

This is my favorite and I go find it. It is a good drinking bourbon that grows on you.

— Mark

Justin, however, had a slightly different take:

Watered down and sad. I’d rather have my taint waxed for $45 than suffer through another bottle of this pretentious overpriced swill. Seriously…next.

— Justin

So now, five years later, what do I think about it today?

Old Medley 12-Year-Old Bourbon: Revisited

Purchase Info: $47.96 for a 750 mL bottle at Blue Max Liquors, Burnsville, MN.

Details: 12 years old, 43.4% ABV.

Nose: Caramel, weathered oak, hints of mint, and a vegetal undercurrent.

Mouth: mint, vanilla, baking spices

Finish: Short and gentle. Lingering dry, vegetal oak notes.

Thoughts: This is a very meh Bourbon. I really was expecting more, though maybe if I had checked out my previous review, I would have been forewarned. I'd give this a hard pass. For the price, it just isn't worth it. I’m thinking that I just picked up a $50 cocktail ingredient because it does pretty well there.

Off to Kentucky next week so no posts. If you see me at BourbonFest, Bourbon & Beyond or just out and about in Louisville/Bardstown/etc please stop me to say hi. I love meeting new friends.

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!

Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whiskey: Revisited

Tonight, my beloved Minnesota Golden Gophers kick off their 2019 college football season. And I couldn’t be more excited. I love the first night of football season. For me part of looking ahead means looking back. Taking stock of last year and all the good things that happened always give me a sense of optimism, even when it isn’t warranted. But tonight is the last night that anything that happened last year means anything. All that matters now is the future.

This is the same tactic I take when I do these “revisited” posts. Sure, what happened in the past is important as a starting point, but what is happening now is all that really matters. So in that spirit, let’s take a look at Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky. It has been two thousand, three hundred seven days since I last reviewed this whiskey. And I loved it.

I tried it blind as part of an online Twitter tasting (remember Twitter? Back when it wasn’t a cesspool filled with hate?). Soon after, I made a trip to Canada and brought a few bottles back home with me. Shortly after that it showed up in my local market and all was well. I would pick it up every once in a while, but the fact that it was priced above $60 at the time made those times farther and farther apart. Until one day, I realized I hadn’t purchased it in years. so I grabbed it and here we are.

Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky: Revisited

Purchase Info: $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 43% ABV. 100% Pot Still Whisky

Nose: It’s a bit of a caramel bomb. Pencil shavings, caramel custard, spearmint and cloves.

Mouth: Toffee, mint, cinnamon, black pepper and creamy custard.

Finish: Medium length with lingering caramel and baking spices.

Thoughts: This is a lot sweeter than I remembered it being. So much so that I dug into my sample library for my last sample of the 2012 release that I bought so many bottles of. These are two completely different whiskies. 2012 is spicy on the nose and the mouth is complex with hints of dill. The current bottling is nothing like that. The nose mouth and finish are all heavy on the caramel. It is so sweet I don’t want to use it in cocktails, like an Old Fashioned, that have added sugar. I’m very sad. This is the farthest anything has fallen in the Revisited series. It went from a love to a meh.

I really hope that isn’t an omen for the football season…

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!

My Wandering Eye: A. de Fussigny Cognac Collection

My Wandering Eye is a series reacting to the crazy rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. My hope is to see if another spirits category offers something that is downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits, but to maximize the quality, I’m getting at a particular price point. And one thing to remember is that these reviews will all be written from the perspective of a bourbon drinker.

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As we are coming up on the Autumn Whiskey Release season, I think it is just about time to clear out the last of the items I bought the last time my eye wandered down the brandy aisle at Total Wine. It was a while ago as I was, once again, looking for a Christmas gift for my Korbel Brandy loving father. Often times, I will get him a cognac or an armagnac for Christmas as a treat. But of course, when I look for a gift for him, I often walk out with at least one gift for me as well.

The thing I found interesting about this gift set was that the company that produced it apparently bottled brandies from each of the regions they produce in separately. So conceivably you could taste the terroir of each region. It reminded me of a daydream I had many years ago of buying five barrels of new make whiskey from the same batch at the same distillery and aging them each in different climates to see what the differences were. Needless to say, that idea was too expensive for me. But if you want to do that feel free, just be sure to send me a sample of each when they are done.

A. de Fussigny Cognac Collection

Petite Champagne VSOP

Nose: Delicate floral notes along with light wintergreen and dried fruit.

Mouth: Cinnamon, dried fruit, white sugar.

Finish: Fairly bitter.

Thoughts: Not a fan of this one. Can't get past the bitter finish. This is a distant number 5 of 5. We are not starting out well.

Borderies VSOP

Nose: Subtle. light notes of baking spice.

Mouth: Sweet, Floral, nutty and peppery.

Finish: Black pepper and caramel sweetness.

Thoughts: Nice pepperiness to it. Took me by surprise. It’s ok, but I wouldn’t seek it out. I rank this number 4 of the 5.

Fins Bois VSOP

Nose: Carmel covered raisins.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy, dried fruit, baking spice.

Finish: Caramel and baking spice.

Thoughts: Sweet. Very bourbon-like finish. This is where we enter the ones that we actually liked. Number 3 of the 5.

Organic VSOP

Nose: Lemon lime soda, light notes of baking spice

Mouth: Citrus, baking spice, almond.

Finish: Candied Almonds.

Thoughts: Delicate but quite tasty. This is a close number 2. I really like this one.

Grande Champagne VSOP

Nose: Dried fruit with a lime-like tartness.

Mouth: Lime, clove, mint, dried fruit.

Finish: Citrus and baking spice.

Thoughts: Refreshing. I like this one quite a bit. It reminds me of my favorite summer white wines with how crisp and refreshing it is. I liked this enough to look up the price. Total Wine has it for about $70 for a 750 mL. I may have to pick a bottle up next time it is in stock. I think it’s worth it.

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Woodford Reserve Rye and Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Rare Rye: Revisited

I usually start out these “Revisited” posts by telling you how long it has been since I last reviewed the whiskey I am revisiting. Usually I am curious as to how the product has changed over the intervening years. This time however, I’m looking at a different type of change. This time I want to see how I have changed since I last had a whiskey. See, I know that the whiskey hasn’t changed since this time I am revisiting a bottle that was only released in 2011. I gave it a very quick review on August 22, 2012 (2,526 days ago).

My local corner liquor store has their expensive liquors in a glass case that you see the minute you walk in the door. I can’t help but glance at the case as I walk in to the store. And for as long as I’ve been glancing, there have been the two bottle set of the 2011 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Rare Rye Selection sitting about halfway up the shelf. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve been walking past it on my way to the bourbon section.

Well, they must have finally decided that it wasn’t ever going to sell in the case because about three or four months ago it was moved out of the locked case and placed on the shelf. In fact, two of them were out on the shelf. And as it sat on the shelf, I’d glance at it as I walked by. And my wife would glance at it as she walked by. And eventually, we both decided that we were curious enough that we needed to revisit it. We both like the standard Woodford Rye and thought it might be interesting to see how our tastes have evolved in the last seven to eight years.

So we bought it. And then because I I had received a question on my review of the Woodford Reserve Rye (reviewed 1,482 days ago if you are curious) that asked how it compared to the 2011 release, I decided to go ahead and pick that up as well. Especially since I really had nothing to go on but memories by the time the question was asked and I was curious as well.

2011 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, Rare Rye Selection: Aged Cask Rye

Purchase info: $85.99 for a set of two 375 mL bottles at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: Aged in a used barrel. 100% Rye Grain. 46.2% ABV. Non-age stated.

Nose: Spearmint, baking spice and just the faintest hint of caramel

Mouth: Grassy malted rye notes with citrus, cinnamon and a light honey.

Finish: On the longer side of medium and warm. lingering mint and cinnamon candy.

Thoughts: Although I haven't been a fan of ryes that use malted rye, this is one of the better ones that I've had. I don't mind this one. Not my favorite rye, and I certainly wouldn’t choose it very often, but I don’t hate it. That’s a downgrade from the previous time I had it. In 2012, I said I liked it. I think I liked it because it was interesting and new. But since then, I’ve had many more 100% ryes, including some that were made using malted rye like these seem to have been. I’m not a big fan of the flavor that malted rye brings to a whiskey.

2011 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, Rare Rye Selection: New Cask Rye

Purchase info: $85.99 for a set of two 375 mL bottles at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: Aged in a new barrel. 100% Rye Grain. 46.2% ABV. Non-age stated.

Nose: Grass, with caramel and mint.

Mouth: Nice mouthfeel. Very minty. Sweet with caramel, berry and pear.

Finish: On the longer side of medium. Lingering wintergreen and cinnamon notes.

Thoughts: Even though there are still hints of the malted rye notes, they are very minimal. Fruity, sweet and minty are the major flavors. I like this one. It has a rich and complex mouthfeel and the flavors work together nicely. Flavorwise, it seems to straddle the line between the Craft Ryes that use malted rye grain and a standard rye that uses malted barley. Still not my favorite rye, but one I will be looking for when I want a change of pace.

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase info: $29.99 for a750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 53% Rye Grain. 45.2% ABV. Non-age stated.

Nose: Cinnamon, black tea, and honey.

Mouth: Follows the nose with cinnamon and black tea. Notes of dried fruit, caramel and mint.

Finish: Medium length with lingering notes of cinnamon, caramel and mint.

Thoughts: I like this one. The black tea notes provide a nice balance to sweetness and spice.

Comparative thoughts: As I mentioned above, back when I first reviewed the Woodford Rye someone asked how it compared to the old Master's Collection ryes. I can finally answer that question. There is almost no comparison between the Aged Cask rye and the regular Woodford Rye. The presence of rye notes is about the only similarity. But I sort of expected that. Between the New Cask and the regular Woodford Rye there are similarities, but the malted rye notes in New Cask make for a fruitier drink and it has a much thicker and richer mouthfeel. That said if offered a pour of either. I'd take the standard Woodford Rye more often. I don’t mind any of them and like two of them, but I like the Woodford Rye the best. Living up to (and in this case helping to earn) its reputation, the Master's Collection tends to be more "interesting" than "good." Though the comparative aspect of this release made it much more interesting than most of the Master's Collection releases.

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