Pendelton 1910

[IncredulousNosco]

Why is Pendelton 1910, 12yo, "100% rye" so garbage?

 

I'm a huge rye whisk(y) fan. Rye that I love: US Alberta releases, particularly L,S&B, WP10yo, WPBH and others. Lot 40. Many MGP variants. Collingwood 21yo. Blends like Hochstadter's & the HW offerings. And I kind of like Alberta Premium--I wish it was older and higher proof, but I like it. And I can tolerate Canadian Club 100% Rye and even CRNHR. 

 

Not a fan of Dark Batch. And I don't care for most blended Canadian whiskies. Obviously I hate Black Velvet. And for some reason, I haven't liked the Forty Creek variants I've tried. 

 

So clearly I like things that are largely rye and I like higher proof. And 10+ years doesn't hurt. I don't think it is aged in new barrels, but after 12 years that shouldn't matter that much with rye grain. It should be spicy, peppery & grassy. It should have clove and some vanilla notes. Instead it taste like bubblegum soaked in powdered sugar and perfume. Yuck.

 

It can't be just low proof. Is it simply a matter of "additives?" They why does it say "100% rye?"

 

 

Here, I made this chart a long time ago. Certainly many more things could be added to it, and I placed the Tap & Rye a little too far right. 

 

Edited February 15, 2017 by IncredulousNosco

[Paddy]

^^^Love the graphic! 

[meadeweber]

Well, I guess we have ruled out blending in other grains, since it says 100% rye, and like you said, it has a 12 year age statement so AGE is not the problem but the problem could be in AGING.  More specifically the wood that the whiskey is aged in.  As most agree, the is what imparts most of the flavor to a whiskey.  I assume it is being aged in Canada before being shipped.  What type of oak barrels are they using?

 

Also, this article: http://www.drinkspirits.com/canadian-whisky/pendleton-1910-canadian-rye-whiskey-review/   mentions that Hood River Distillers "finishes" the Canadian whiskey.  Maybe this is the culprit.

Unfortunately I have not tried 1910 so I can't add any personal input but I would bet it has something to do with the wood, most likely what it is finished in.

[IncredulousNosco]

Thanks for the replies. I did finally finish that bottle. The old lady used it to make bourbon chicken a couple of times. And I had it straight up over ice a few times. I also made a couple of mint juleps with it. 

 

If figure it was simply aged in tired casks, then had added flavorants as is allowed by Canada. I think that's right meadeweber, 100% rye only rules out other grains, not flavor components like sugar or juice or whatever.  

 

But no, I don't suggest it. If you see it at a bar though, get a pour and then come back to tell me how much you hate it. 

[meadeweber]

14 hours ago, IncredulousNosco said:

If you see it at a bar though, get a pour and then come back to tell me how much you hate it. 

Haha.  Okay, I will.

[Agalloch]

Ive had 3 pours of Pendleton so far and the first was straight butterscotch a little be weak due to proof but had a bit of a thickness. But the last last two pours I get a brief note of the butterscotch and a odd alcohol and off balence taste. Thinking back on that first pour almost everything tasted good that night. That was the first pour of that venture.

[EarthQuake]

I have mixed feelings about this rye. On the one hand, it's one of the best Canadian whiskeys I've ever had. On the other hand, it's below average compared to most American ryes that I've tasted. I've not had many Canadian whiskeys, so this being one of the best that I've tried doesn't mean a whole lot.

 

It's a mild, smooth, sweet pour that goes straight to maple syrup, there is a little oak and complexity from the age. It has a somewhat unpleasant vodka-like grain alcohol finish. It's better than the standard Pendleton which tastes like maple syrup and grain alcohol.

 

I wouldn't want to drink this straight but I think it would work pretty well in a number of cocktails, perhaps in place of rum as well due to the sweetness. Personally, I like Pendleton 12 a bit better than Lot 40 - which I think is just barely drinkable, but I won't be buying another bottle of either.

 

Whistlepig 10 to me is quite a bit better, it really puts this stuff to shame - but this seems more like the exception rather than the norm when it comes to Canadian whiskey.

Edited March 14, 2017 by EarthQuake

[IncredulousNosco]

10 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

Personally, I like Pendleton 12 a bit better than Lot 40 - which I think is just barely drinkable, but I won't be buying another bottle of either.

 

Whistlepig 10 to me is quite a bit better, it really puts this stuff to shame - but this seems more like the exception rather than the norm when it comes to Canadian whiskey.

 

 

Well if you've had WhistlePig 10, you've certainly had one of the best whiskies Canada has to offer. It's jut too bad Canada (or Beam/Suntory) doesn't actually offer it themselves...

 

But I don't think I've ever heard anyone not like Lot 40!  Sure, I'd appreciate if it was higher ABV, but I think it is really spectacular, especially for a proper Canadian Whisky. Although admittedly it does have a significantly different flavor profile than most other ryes, and maybe this is because of the malted rye component. I think it kind of bridges the gap in the flavor profile between MGP and ADL. Did you have the current release, or the "2012" release? I like the newest one slightly better, and I certainly like its ~ $30 price better than the 2012's ~ $55 price. 

 

 

 

 

Just though it'd take this opportunity to say that Pendelton 1910 is still terrible. No mixed feelings from me!

[garbanzobean]

I didn't enjoy Lot 40 much.  I cant recall if I actually drank the bottle by mixing it, or if I dumped it into my mixing/cooking decanter.  Either way, that was the end of my experimentation with Canadian Whiskies.  I don't really enjoy the flavor profile.  I'm sure my palate will change someday and I'll enjoy it again.

[EarthQuake]

10 hours ago, IncredulousNosco said:

 

 

Well if you've had WhistlePig 10, you've certainly had one of the best whiskies Canada has to offer. It's jut too bad Canada (or Beam/Suntory) doesn't actually offer it themselves...

 

But I don't think I've ever heard anyone not like Lot 40!  Sure, I'd appreciate if it was higher ABV, but I think it is really spectacular, especially for a proper Canadian Whisky. Although admittedly it does have a significantly different flavor profile than most other ryes, and maybe this is because of the malted rye component. I think it kind of bridges the gap in the flavor profile between MGP and ADL. Did you have the current release, or the "2012" release? I like the newest one slightly better, and I certainly like its ~ $30 price better than the 2012's ~ $55 price. 

 

 

 

 

Just though it'd take this opportunity to say that Pendelton 1910 is still terrible. No mixed feelings from me!

 

It was the recent release I think, ordered a couple months ago, I paid $45 for it.

 

 

[EarthQuake]

I recently had a pour of J.P Wiser 18 year, it had basically the same flavor profile as the Pendleton 12, but with a bit more age. That is to say, not very good. I'm glad I tried it in a bar and didn't splurge on a bottle.

 

I got a 50ml of Crown Harvest Rye as well. This is probably the best Canadian Rye I've had that was bottled in Canada. Even still, it wasn't particularly good, just drinkable. Probably fine for mixing. I would rather take a Dickle Rye, High West Double Rye, Sazerac, Rittenhouse, etc in this price range.

 

I purchased bottles of the 13 and 16 year LS&B recently, these are miles above any of the Canadian bottled Canadian Ryes I've had. A bit too much nuttiness for my taste but otherwise quite nice.

 

I think I prefer WP10 over the LS&B, and I got a single barrel store pick of WP10 (Stagecoach) at about 120 proof which is absolutely fantastic. It is by far one of the best ryes I've ever had, Canadian or otherwise. It's not quite Thomas H Handy good, but it's reasonably obtainable and affordable so I can't complain.