Just a few more rye whiskies


April 29, 2024

Just a few more rye whiskies

Mostly Americans, well we'll see, more and more of them being NAS. Are age statements slowly becoming a thing of the past in the USA? Let's see what we have… We can't do this vertically, for obvious reasons. How do you build a verticale of NAS? Also, let's remember that 'rye' means that the majority in the mashbill is rye, like 51% for example, and not that it's pure rye – although it can be, naturally. In other words it's like grouse pâté.

Bleu Sky Rye (42%, OB, Shippen Bros., USA, +/-2022)

This is rye sourced from 'MGP' in Indiana. Dozens and dozens of famous branded ryes are stemming from the same source. Although the brand is located in Bardstown, Kentucky, there's an amusing American-French reference on the back label, I suppose that's why they call it 'bleu' instead of 'blue'. Colour: gold. Nose: I like this make, with its gingery spiciness, these touches of lavender-scented soap that I'm often finding in these and that does not bother me one bit, then the faint vanilla and the various vegetables, cooked zucchini for example. Also caraway liqueur and a touch of gin and just juniper berries. Mouth: not that far from aged gin but I'm finding the oak a little loud here, I suppose they've reduced it a little too much. Turmeric, ginseng, lavender, cumin, ginger, fennel seeds, juniper, capsicum. Globally pretty dry. Finish: more of that, plus coriander seeds that rather lift the aftertaste (I enjoy coriander seeds). Comments: we don't taste these very often, they're always rather surprising.
SGP:361 - 81 points.

The Gospel (45%, OB, straight rye whiskey, Australia, +/-2023)

From Melbourne, distilled from Australian rye. Colour: full gold. Nose: there, this wonderful breadiness that we love so much. And wonderful earth, anise, celery and gentian. Short story, great nose. Mouth: the wood's a bit heavy once more, but balance was found, with some chicory coffee, black turon, roasted sesame and just 'rye'. And fifteen kilograms of Australian speculoos; don't tell they do not bake speculoos in Australia? Creamy mouthfeel, touches of geranium flower jelly. Finish: rather long, clean, simply delicious (and consequently, moreish). Bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: there's something happening in Australia these days. I know it's become 'a whisky country' just like, well, Sweden, but still…
SGP:561 - 86 points.

Devils River (45%, OB, USA, Texas Rye, +/-2023)

Harleys and guns on the website. This is actually 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley, which is exactly MGP's usual mashbill. See what I mean. Colour: deep gold. Nose: rounder and more honeyed than the Bleu Skye, with more cake, orange jam, a discreet earthiness, some soft oak, popcorn, vanilla… It's clearly 'rye whisky' but a really soft one and The Gospel rather trashes it. Religion! Mouth: rather easy, relatively soft, good of course, a bit on the oaky side. Some triple-sec, genever, vanilla, tiny touches of varnish and glue… Finish: medium, oakier yet, with some cocoa. Comments: so many rye brands, so few proper distillers! Small decorative stills do not count.
SGP:551 - 82 points.

Sonoma Distilling 'Cherrywood Rye' (47.8%, OB, USA, +/-2023)

A small part of the mashbill consists in barley smoked over cherrywood, hence the name. We've tried this before – and liked it, WF 84 – but this is a whole different livery and even name. I used to love the early story about the barber (if I remember well). Colour: full gold. Nose: joyous, aromatic woods, I would say. Earthy cereals, a compost side, some bitter oranges, rye bread and, as I had already noticed last time, papadums and juniper. Mouth: organoleptically close to the Australian, which is good news. Herbal liqueurs, oranges, then caraway, juniper liqueur (or aquavit) and touches of Frappuccino (I feel I should apologise here and now). It's excellent. Finish: long, on sumptuous orange liqueurs and jams. Californian oranges, naturally. Comments: they may have learnt how to better master that cherrywood, because I like this recent batch even better than that of around seven years ago. I mean, love.
SGP:661 - 87 points.

Balcones 'Texas Rye 100 Proof' (50%, OB, +/-2023)

First time we're trying their rye. Remember, in the US, 100 proof that's nothing like in the UK. But this one's 'pot distilled', which means they're using pot stills, right. And this is 100% rye. Colour: full gold. Nose: this time we're having some Christmas cake in our glass, both the sweeter English type and the spicier German-style 'Christstollen'. Plus panettone, gingerbread and speculoos. Awesome nose, pretty 'sexy' if you're still allowed to say that. With water: you feel some fatness, maybe that's the 'pot' side. Lovely little herbs too, dill for instance. Mouth (neat): very good, spicier, with much more violets and lavender, crazy fondant, insane chocolates, and litres of damson plum eau-de-vie. This one has clearly got a Middle-European side; so much for Texas (yes I know ties are profound, there's even a small Alsatian town over there). Some coffee liqueur too. Finish: long, spicier, with more coffee too. The aftertaste is a notch too woody for me. Comments: love this charming concoction. As we say in Alsace and in most parts of the 'Germanic' side of Europe, hoppla!
SGP:661 - 87 points.

Willett 4 yo 'Family Estate Rye' (56.4%, OB, USA, +/-2023)

The actual wording on the label is 'Family Estate Bottled Small Batch Rye'. The word 'Bottled' might be a tad puzzling, especially next to the word 'Estate', but I agree I'm splitting hairs here, it is most probably distilled and maybe even harvested over there as well, as estates do in, say Cognac. Said to be a blend of two mashbills, 74% rye and 51% rye. Colour: gold. Nose: it's a rather more austere composition, with a little more dust, breadcrumbs, ale, cardboard, leaves… It's really dry. With water: herbaceous, dry, rather spirity. Feels very authentic and… uncommercially tough, so to speak. Mouth (neat): much, and I mean much more engaging on the palate, if rather rough and simply very powerful. Orange cordial, a little varnish, some spirity hotness, apple spirit, kirsch, pepper… With water: same, a little raw and possibly a little immature. Finish: long, uncommonly grassy. Comments: rye the old-Scottish way, would I say. No ooh-ha sweet oak in play and a feeling of Work In Progress.
SGP:461 - 83 points.

Westland 2014/2023 'steampunk 1' (59.5%, Zero Nine Spirits, USA, 210 bottles)

Well, this is actually malt whisky first aged in an ex-rye barrel, then finished in Madeira wood. Why not, Madeira's so close to Seattle. Come on anyone can take a stupid little joke. Colour: amber. Nose: fudge, toffee, maple syrup and Virginia tobacco. Right, the ryeness is not very obvious here, but this nose is beautiful. I used to be a Westland fan even before the Rémy days, just saying. With water: peaches coming out, we're almost in Rémy's dear cognac region. Quite. Some brown ale and some chocolate too. Mouth (neat): TBH it feels a little Scottish. Even west coast. Coffee, lemon, leather and mustard (Madeira), treacle toffee, quite some pepper. With water: even more of that funny chocolaty Scottishness. Some oranges, a little seawater, more tobacco, bay leaves, zests… You'd believe we're in Fort Williams at times. Perhaps even in Campbeltown. Or Cuba (wrt the cigars). Finish: rather dry, pretty long, leafier, with some cocoa and proper coffee. A small glass of brown beer in the aftertaste. Comments: a little 'United Nations', this very good and slightly crazy Westland.
SGP:562 - 87 points.

PS: malted rye is a whole different story. We''ll try to taste a few of them in the coming days. I mean, weeks.