LCWoody Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 (edited) I picked up a Barrell 13y Rye today (Canadian), and I'm a fan of Barrell, but this is bad rye. Very hot and not a good Canadian Rye. I don't recommend getting this. I had very high hopes for this. Edited January 3, 2019 by LCWoody 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Back in the fall I had the privilege of sitting in on a barrel pick for some Barrel Strength Traverse City Rye Whiskey. Who is Traverse City you ask? I bet Richnimrod knows. It's a Michigan distillery. For this particular iteration, the salient point is that this is MGP rye whiskey. Just shy of 7 years old. I bought a bottle when it came in and it's exactly what you expect - classic MGP rye. If this was in a WFE bottle it would sell out in an instant. Good stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Picked up a HW Rendezvous today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCWoody Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 I started not to buy it knowing it was Canadian juice, but Barrell has put out very good product so I went with history. If it was MGP I'm sure price would have been different, and it would have been a much better rye. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 10 minutes ago, LCWoody said: I started not to buy it knowing it was Canadian juice, but Barrell has put out very good product so I went with history. If it was MGP I'm sure price would have been different, and it would have been a much better rye. I've had good luck with Barrell as well, but then again I haven't had a rye, just bourbons. Sorry about your purchase, but thanks for letting the rest of us know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Poured myself some HW Midwinter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottledInBond Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I bought another Willett 4 year rye. Passed on a Willett 10 year rye though. It certainly isn’t something we see here very often but it’s gotten crazy expensive - $200 this time. That seems pretty rich for MGP juice, when I recently bought a Whistle Pig store pick that I really liked, which is MGP rye over 10 years, and it was $80. The Willett May be an even better barrel pick I suppose, but for juice of the same age, same mashbill, very similar proof, $120 more seems like a lot for the Willett label 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey r Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 12 hours ago, BottledInBond said: I bought another Willett 4 year rye. Passed on a Willett 10 year rye though. It certainly isn’t something we see here very often but it’s gotten crazy expensive - $200 this time. That seems pretty rich for MGP juice, when I recently bought a Whistle Pig store pick that I really liked, which is MGP rye over 10 years, and it was $80. The Willett May be an even better barrel pick I suppose, but for juice of the same age, same mashbill, very similar proof, $120 more seems like a lot for the Willett label Well, I didn't have the choice of a 10 year Willett, but I also purchased another Willett 4 year rye. There is a bit of Willett premium around here, but I was very impressed by the first Willett distilled 4 year rye that I picked up a few months ago. So when I just came across another newer 4 year, I picked it up as well, albeit a bit lower in proof (around 111 vs 119 on the first bottle). This stuff is going to be exceptional as it ages more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlounderinDC Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Picked up a Knob Creek Cask Strength rye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Vino Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Willett 4 YO Rye. Low proof at 51.1. Initial reaction to flavor profile is positive though flavors lack depth of that I would expect from a Barrel proof rye. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCWoody Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 Having a very good pour of Willett's 4y Rye. I would say the best young rye I've ever had. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Vino Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 LC, what proof is your bottle? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCWoody Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 8 hours ago, El Vino said: LC, what proof is your bottle? Thanks! 114.4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey r Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 12 hours ago, LCWoody said: Having a very good pour of Willett's 4y Rye. I would say the best young rye I've ever had. It is pretty fantastic for a young rye. I have a 119 pf open, and recently picked up 111 and 102 pf. I had another pour of the 119 recently, and it is really good. I find it hard to pass these up when I find them. I gotta give Willett credit, back to their Indiana rye days, of how they age their ryes. Just something special going on there IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Vino Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 3 hours ago, jeffrey r said: It is pretty fantastic for a young rye. I have a 119 pf open, and recently picked up 111 and 102 pf. I had another pour of the 119 recently, and it is really good. I find it hard to pass these up when I find them. I gotta give Willett credit, back to their Indiana rye days, of how they age their ryes. Just something special going on there IMHO. Look forward to your thoughts on the lower proof bottle versus the higher proof ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 I bought another Willett 4 year rye. Passed on a Willett 10 year rye though. It certainly isn’t something we see here very often but it’s gotten crazy expensive - $200 this time. That seems pretty rich for MGP juice, when I recently bought a Whistle Pig store pick that I really liked, which is MGP rye over 10 years, and it was $80. The Willett May be an even better barrel pick I suppose, but for juice of the same age, same mashbill, very similar proof, $120 more seems like a lot for the Willett label I passed on a Willet 10 year Rye for the same reason...$200 is just a bit too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 I'm in when they can release an 8yr at $70 again. Yes, I know their make is not presently old enough. But it's not that far off now. At 50 barrels a day production (split across rye, bourbon, and wheated bourbon), I'm not holding my breath on supply. I do wish they'd focus on increasing production of superb whiskeys (which they are prodigious at) instead of destination weddings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marekv8 Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 This 5yo expression of their own distillate is outstanding, so I can only imagine how good things are going to get in the near future… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Marekv8 said: This 5yo expression of their own distillate is outstanding, so I can only imagine how good things are going to get in the near future… Are you sure that is their own distillate? Previously on their own distillate, the years were written out and this one has the number "5". I also hadn't heard that they released a 5 year, last I heard was a 4 year, but admittedly, I'm not paying that close attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marekv8 Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 18 minutes ago, meadeweber said: Are you sure that is their own distillate? Previously on their own distillate, the years were written out and this one has the number "5". I also hadn't heard that they released a 5 year, last I heard was a 4 year, but admittedly, I'm not paying that close attention. Yes, it's theirs. It was bottled last year from a single PS cask (183 bottles). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadeweber Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 2 hours ago, Marekv8 said: Yes, it's theirs. It was bottled last year from a single PS cask (183 bottles). Well congrats on scoring that then. I would have snatched that up as well. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourbon-n00b Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Grabbed a PS Whistlepig at a local store that's running a clearance sale. The WP was only $10 off, so not a super deep discount but good enough to justify grabbing another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMartin42 Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 So much snow called for a HWYKY. The nose alone warms the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonNit Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Tasting pretty good today. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Vino Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Kentucky Owl Rye Batch 1. Last pour from the bottle. Rich, deep, awesome. Got a cold to welcome 2019. Taste buds finally back where they belong. Glad I have more in the bunker. Can’t pull the trigger on Batch 2. Willett 4 YO finally hitting the high notes I hoped for. Breaking in my daughter’s boyfriend. KO Rye, Hochstadter’s and now Willett. My version of paying it forward!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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