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Purchased any new rye lately? (Fall 2017)


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Nope was actually tempted saw a store pick of Whistle Pig, 10yr SB barrel strength for $70. Is this Canadian or LDI/MGP? Thinking I'll wait to I find some Lot 40 12yr cask strength for the same price.

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8 minutes ago, HoustonNit said:

Nope was actually tempted saw a store pick of Whistle Pig, 10yr SB barrel strength for $70. Is this Canadian or LDI/MGP? Thinking I'll wait to I find some Lot 40 12yr cask strength for the same price.

Store picks are as far as I know always the Alberta Distillers sourced whiskey.

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Store picks are as far as I know always the Alberta Distillers sourced whiskey.

 

Ok good I'm probably the exception but I think I prefer the Canadian rye over MGP.

 

The Canucks must have a ton of there 100% rye sitting in barrels for there blends nobody wants blended Canadian whiskey these days and the rye portion is just waiting to be bottled as 100% straight Rye. They can sell there corn barrels and malt barrels for note book and other crap.

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I like both of them for what they are. Couple bottles of Jefferson rye and Saos rye are my most treasured bottles. 

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I like both MGP and Alberta Rye as well, I would take high proof MGP when I want something a bit more rough around the edges and Alberta stuff if I want something a bit more refined. Maybe a product of the fact that most (All?) of the Alberta stuff I have is 10 years plus and all of the MGP is (I think) 7 years and younger. 

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I can confirm that WP 10 store picks are Canadian, in fact all WP 10 is Canadian. MGP is used for some of the other bottles, like the 12 year some of the various special releases. The barrel proof store pick that I've had (Stagecoach 120 proof) so far is head and shoulders about the standard WP10, very easy to recommend in the $70-80 range.

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Agree they are both excellent once they've got at least 8yrs on 'em. 

 

Sadly it's been a while since I've seen a fairly priced 8yr+ barrel strength rye, apart from the 'pig.

 

But they're making an awful lot of it. And Pikesville's already great at 6 and near enough barrel proof.

 

Willett's ryes are already what, nearly 6yrs old now? Not that I'm expecting fair pricing on those especially with 50 barrels/day output. Still, it will take a little of the heat off the rest of the market.

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Picked up the new Jack Daniels Rye for $24.99.  Looking forward to trying it, but, I'm not sure it will replace JB rye on my bar which I can get for $16.99.

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Agree they are both excellent once they've got at least 8yrs on 'em. 
 
Sadly it's been a while since I've seen a fairly priced 8yr+ barrel strength rye, apart from the 'pig.
 
But they're making an awful lot of it. And Pikesville's already great at 6 and near enough barrel proof.
 
Willett's ryes are already what, nearly 6yrs old now? Not that I'm expecting fair pricing on those especially with 50 barrels/day output. Still, it will take a little of the heat off the rest of the market.


Have you had RR SB rye? Supposed to be really good.
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I picked up two bottles of the Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye (@ 52% abv) because I had some around last night and happened to try it. I hadn't thought there was anything special about it because I'd been distracted quite a bit by the Pikesville and the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof. Well, I was blown away by it and very surprised, wondering why I had not appreciated it before. I had to drive 26 miles to get it, but the trip was worth it as I will confirm for myself tonight.

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1 hour ago, Ace1943 said:

I picked up two bottles of the Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye (@ 52% abv) because I had some around last night and happened to try it. I hadn't thought there was anything special about it because I'd been distracted quite a bit by the Pikesville and the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof. Well, I was blown away by it and very surprised, wondering why I had not appreciated it before. I had to drive 26 miles to get it, but the trip was worth it as I will confirm for myself tonight.

Yeah, it is a great rye. I have three in the bunker. Price is a little high at $64 a 750 mm bottle at the local state store.

 

Regards, Jim

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5 hours ago, HoustonNit said:

Have you had RR SB rye? Supposed to be really good.

 

Yeah, it's supposed to be.

 

Every barrel is different and that's the point, but the one I bought so far wasn't any great shakes. I do believe great ones are out there though.

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I tried the RRSB again last night, and my earlier positive impression was confirmed. I had been trying various ryes since switching over from barrel proof bourbons, being dragged into rye territory by the Pikesville 110. I stumbled (not literally) across the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof, and its level of spice really opened my eyes. Now I've not only left bourbons behind but have become somewhat of a spice hound. The Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye at 46% kicks up the spice level a bit too. I'm aware that I am becoming a bit spice-obsessed here, but the crackling finishes of some ryes really heighten the experience for me. I am also aware that viewing ryes through a "spice lens" is maybe taking my transition from bourbon to rye a tad too far, but that is what dragged me over the line.

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3 hours ago, Ace1943 said:

I tried the RRSB again last night, and my earlier positive impression was confirmed. I had been trying various ryes since switching over from barrel proof bourbons, being dragged into rye territory by the Pikesville 110. I stumbled (not literally) across the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof, and its level of spice really opened my eyes. Now I've not only left bourbons behind but have become somewhat of a spice hound. The Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye at 46% kicks up the spice level a bit too. I'm aware that I am becoming a bit spice-obsessed here, but the crackling finishes of some ryes really heighten the experience for me. I am also aware that viewing ryes through a "spice lens" is maybe taking my transition from bourbon to rye a tad too far, but that is what dragged me over the line.

No I think that's completely reasonable. I mean Bourbon and Rye are really two sides of the same coin, and rye spice is often the biggest differentiator between the two.

 

If you get a chance to try a Four Roses OBSK you should go for it, if I had it blind I probably would have guessed it was a rye, a great amount of rye spice for a bourbon.

 

The RRSB is one of my favorite ryes as well. It's a little pricy at $65 but well worth it IMO, the only rye that is really near it in quality for less is Pikesville, and I like RRSB a bit more so the ~$15 premium seems fine to me. High West Rendevous is very good if you can get it at the $50 range too, but it sells locally for about $75 here, at which point I would rather pick up RRSB or throw $80 at a Whistlepig 10 barrel proof store pick.

Edited by EarthQuake
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Yeah, it's supposed to be.
 
Every barrel is different and that's the point, but the one I bought so far wasn't any great shakes. I do believe great ones are out there though.


This is one I'll keep an eye out for if I see a store pick.
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I think I've had 3 or 4 bottles of RRSB. Each one has been consistently excellent. I haven't done a side by side so I don't know if there is any variance. Also I have a suspicion that the local store got a number of these in ~1 year ago or so and I have been the only one buying them (they have them in a weird place that most people probably wouldn't bother to look, sort of behind the checkout counter but off to the side where it's not easy to spot), so they all may have been from the same batch. Is there a way to tell which batch I have?

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2 hours ago, DCFan said:

I just picked up a mini of the JD Rye.  Report will be forthcoming. :P

OMG, this stuff was awful.  The nose on this was overpowering with the aroma of acetone/airplane glue. And I don't mean a faint aroma, it was OVERPOWERING. Once you got past the aroma the rye was actually pretty on spot but eventually I got to the the point where the aroma dissipated but that's because it was now in the drink itself.  Glad I only sprang for a mini at $2.29. Two thumbs down.

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I bought more KY Owl Rye and have started my HWMWND purchases for the year. Need to stock up on the Dram as my reserves dwindled

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I picked up a bottle of the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye and will give that a shot (not literally) tonight. I have to be careful with my tastings because I have come across (again, not literally) two bottles that bored me quite a bit on the first try and then second time around surprised me quite a bit. The first and worst case of this phenomenon was the RRSB which at I first found devoid of spice and the second try was joyous. The other was the High West Double Rye that bored me so badly that I considered "pouring" it down the drain. I then gave it another try,  and was surprised by its spice. Either they are changing in the bottle, or I have multiple tasting disorder. Time will tell!

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25 minutes ago, Ace1943 said:

I picked up a bottle of the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye and will give that a shot (not literally) tonight. I have to be careful with my tastings because I have come across (again, not literally) two bottles that bored me quite a bit on the first try and then second time around surprised me quite a bit. The first and worst case of this phenomenon was the RRSB which at I first found devoid of spice and the second try was joyous. The other was the High West Double Rye that bored me so badly that I considered "pouring" it down the drain. I then gave it another try,  and was surprised by its spice. Either they are changing in the bottle, or I have multiple tasting disorder. Time will tell!

The other things you eat and drink have a huge impact on how you taste spirits. I would guess that this is the most likely culprit.

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I would agree with this generally, but I am rather an odd case because I don't eat dinner at all, and my last meal before all of these was 9 hours prior to each tasting. Of course, that is still the best candidate for a reasonable explanation. i do consume some unsalted peanuts while I taste my Ryes but again that is the same with each one. As pointed out, though, the difference is much more likely to be with me than with anything else.

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I've been buying lots of James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Rye lately because the state liquor stores are getting rid of it and have discounted it to $25.09 per 750 ml. It is admittedly quite young and derives its considerable spiciness from that youth. Some reviewers have found it harsh. I don't put it in the same class with Pikesville, but the spice fiend in me does crave it. Has anyone else given this a try? Locally, it is being sold (at 114 proof) for less than the 100 proof standard version. It may be a tad aggressive but spice in itself, to me, is somewhat aggressive in nature.

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