I’d like to thank the producer for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
It was almost three months ago, to the day, that we looked at the Small Batch Bourbon from Never Say Die and gave away a branded winter hat to a lucky reader. The producer of that bourbon appreciated the giveaway enough that he not only sent a new hat to replace the one I gave away but also sent a bottle of their Rye whiskey as well. Now, as it was only three months ago, I’m not going to drill down into their company history again. But here is a quick overview of the life of the whiskey we are talking about tonight.
A distillery in Kentucky distilled a mash bill of 56% Rye, 33% Corn, and 11% Malted Barley using a sweet mash process.
That distillery ages the whiskey in new charred oak barrels for five years.
The whiskey is then shipped across the ocean to England, getting nice and agitated while being exposed to the sea air during the crossing.
The whiskey is then aged further in Derbyshire, England, before being bottled at 52.5% ABV. A small portion of that whiskey then comes back to the US to be sold online by Seelbach’s.
I drink a bit of that whiskey.
I’m going to go out on a limb and speculate once again that this came from Wilderness Trail Distillery. Wilderness Trail uses a sweet mash process and the exact same mashbill for their rye, so I think that metaphorical limb I crawled out on is pretty sturdy.
So now that you’ve got a quick overview of the whiskey and some speculation as to its provenance, let’s dig in.
Never Say Die Rye Whiskey
Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no charge for review purposes. A 700 mL bottle can be purchased online at Seelbach's for $84.99.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.07
Nose: Floral mint, cardamom, cherry, caramel, oak, and cocoa.
Mouth: Spicy and sweet with notes of cinnamon, red fruit, honey, cardamon, and oak.
Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Sweet and vibrant notes of cinnamon, cardamom, honey, bubblegum and mint.
Thoughts: The nose is complex and ever-changing. The mouth is spicy and sweet, and the finish explodes with flavor upon swallowing. Overall, I like this, and even though $6 per pour is more than I’d like to spend on a rye whiskey, I will certainly enjoy the rest of the bottle. I tend to use ryes in cocktails more often than I drink them neat, though, so I don’t usually tend to spend a premium on them.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.