What rye are you drinking or purchased in 2021

[mal00768]

On 12/28/2021 at 11:04 PM, LvR Mike said:

I wish I knew you were stomping around. The GF's family is like 15-20 minutes south of Baltimore and I visited them for Christmas the past couple years. Always love buying and sharing whiskey with friends. Just went over to the Sagamore distillery last week and picked up my first bottles.

 

They make a Distillery Exclusive bottle in which you can only get there, obviously, and once it's gone, it's gone. Upon the completion of selling all of those bottles, they then release the next one. They said they do about 4-5 a year, so figure they sell out about every 3 months or so.

 

From what I've gathered about their Distillery Exclusive, as well as some of their Reserve Series releases, they take their standard 4 year rye and age it an additional 12-13 months in barrels in which they get from unique places. Like when I was there they had a DE bottle that was aged 12 months in Laird Apple Brandy Casks.

 

I've seen some of their Reserve Series with funky/experimental finishes as well such as: Tequilla barrels, Barelywine Beer barrels, Port barrels, Cognac barrels... you get the point.

 

PS - When I was there I also grabbed their BiB which I'm exicted about. Will share my thoughts when I open it.

 

PPS - Their Double Oak, which should be widely available, is unbelievably good.

 

Cool. Julios out in Westborough did a few armagnac picks a few years ago. They then took some Sagamore rye and let it age for 3 years in the used barrels. Came out a total of 7 years ish iirc. It was fantastic. I wish I would have grabbed a second bottle. It blew the socks off of that years Whistlepig release of Samurai which was also armagnac finished.

Edited December 30, 2021 by mal00768

[Mattk]

So continuing on the sagamore topic. I purchased a grey lable cask strength and the new bottled in bond. The store also had a KCCS rye, so that came home too.

[Radioyada]

Figured a good time to open this was for the first game of the college football playoffs. 
 

Go Cincinnati!

 

 

[Mattk]

3 hours ago, Radioyada said:

Figured a good time to open this was for the first game of the college football playoffs. 
 

Go Cincinnati!

 

 

Wow, this is the only bottle I wanted that I didn't get this year. Hope you enjoy it and post some tasting notes so I can vicariously live through you.

[Mattk]

Probably last post from me for the year. This new years fell on a fryeday...

[markandrex]

Riding out 2021 with a glass of 2020 THH

Edited January 1, 2022 by markandrex

[0895]

9 hours ago, Radioyada said:

Figured a good time to open this was for the first game of the college football playoffs. 
 

Go Cincinnati!

 

 

Such great stuff.

The two I’ve tried have had a cherry gummy candy thing going on that was weirdly delicious!

[LvR Mike]

On 12/30/2021 at 7:21 PM, Mattk said:

So continuing on the sagamore topic. I purchased a grey lable cask strength and the new bottled in bond. The store also had a KCCS rye, so that came home too.

Why is the grey label different? Looks cool.

[Mattk]

10 hours ago, LvR Mike said:

Why is the grey label different? Looks cool.

They used a grey lable for the first few batches of cask strength. Then they switched to the maroon one. The one I got is a first batch. Not really any difference in the flavor, but I just thought it would be cool to have.

[Kane]

I don’t know how, but literally heard about this one just last week. Glad I didn’t miss it. 

[0895]

So good !

 

[Kepler]

'16 T.H. Handy to celebrate the start of the weekend

[Wedelstaedt]

I opened a Sazerac this evening. 

Enjoying a sip of it now.  Has good viscosity for a 90 proof and has the nice notes I enjoy with THH, muted of course, compared to THH. I like it. 

Happy FRyeday 

[Kepler]

On 1/4/2022 at 3:06 PM, Kane said:

I don’t know how, but literally heard about this one just last week. Glad I didn’t miss it. 

 

I got one of those as well but haven't opened it yet.  I have too many ryes already open!

[Kepler]

I followed the THH with HW Midwinter and now on a Whistlepig 15 estate oak SiB.  I don't normally do comparos of finished whiskies vs straights but what the hell, I'm just pouring what sounds good tonight.  THH > WP15 PS > HWMND in that order.

[Kane]

18 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

I got one of those as well but haven't opened it yet.  I have too many ryes already open!

So I cracked it open right now — but almost got swayed by that Pikesville sneaking up from behind. 
 

This is something. I agree with all the reviews that the apricot brandy influence is driving this, you don’t need to second-guess, you know it immediately. I can see that could be too much for some. Thankfully the base rye is rock solid and remains intact in the mix with all the bold spice. I am really excited about it overall.

 

 

[Kepler]

12 minutes ago, Kane said:

So I cracked it open right now — but almost got swayed by that Pikesville sneaking up from behind. 
 

This is something. I agree with all the reviews that the apricot brandy influence is driving this, you don’t need to second-guess, you know it immediately. I can see that could be too much for some. Thankfully the base rye is rock solid and remains intact in the mix with all the bold spice. I am really excited about it overall.

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing your feedback sir!

[mbroo5880i]

2 hours ago, Kane said:

So I cracked it open right now — but almost got swayed by that Pikesville sneaking up from behind. 
 

This is something. I agree with all the reviews that the apricot brandy influence is driving this, you don’t need to second-guess, you know it immediately. I can see that could be too much for some. Thankfully the base rye is rock solid and remains intact in the mix with all the bold spice. I am really excited about it overall.

 

 

 

The meniscus on both bottles tells me you have a lot a great drinking ahead!

[smokinjoe]

Dickel Rye with some football this afternoon.  Still, my favorite MGP distilled rye.  Of course, I haven’t tasted all of the 977 different MGP distilled ryes available…

[mbroo5880i]

WTR101 on a cold Friday evening in Indiana while watching Schitt's Creek.  It was a long week at work.  Looking forward to the NFL playoff games this weekend.

[0895]

Enjoying knocking out this Rossville tonight.

[Bbstout]

On 1/27/2021 at 7:01 PM, FasterHorses said:

Looked it up.. it was 2yr MGP and 16yr barton until 2018.. article from may 2018. 

What article? The label changed around 2016 and didn't have Barton anymore. 2016 was the last for RR.

[FasterHorses]

14 hours ago, Bbstout said:

What article? The label changed around 2016 and didn't have Barton anymore. 2016 was the last for RR.

Maybe this one… https://www.whiskyadvocate.com/high-west-double-rye-change/

wish you wouldve asked back in january 21. 

[Bbstout]

On 6/14/2021 at 4:15 PM, RWBadley said:

We have a local distillery called Frey Ranch in Fallon Nevada which has been putting out some pretty tasty Bourbon and Rye. I picked up a couple bottles of the 5 year old Rye from a regional store here called Raley's. It had been marked down from 67$ to 18$. Yes 49$ off regular price.

 

At first I was suspicious then decided to go ahead and buy, as it was most likely some sort of error somewhere in the system. I have tasted Frey product a number of times and know it to be pretty solid. The Frey Ranch Rye I had not had. 

 

This Frey craft Rye is 100% estate grown winter rye. Batch 4,  5 year old. Bottled in Bond at 100 proof.

 

I have a pretty extensive history with rye and have tasted some especially that sticks in my mind. One to mention is the Mt. Vernon Bottled in Bond from fall of 1941. Distilled Fall of 1936. A 5 year old 100 proof Pennsylvania rye. I'm guessing it would be in the classic Monongahela style. 

 

Of all the contemporary rye I have experienced they have all left the Mt Vernon as quite unique in character. Until I had the Frey Ranch batch 4 Rye.

 

They share a particular note in the nose and flavor that takes me right back to the vintage Mt Vernon Rye profile.  I can describe the note that is peculiar to each- the best I can phrase it is as a hint of Creosote. Like what you might smell walking a train track. The aroma off the ties. It sounds a bit off putting for sure, but in this case it is really quite a complex note to the aroma and flavor. It is not overpowering but I recognized it immediately. This Frey Rye also has a very fresh character of rye and is quite delicious. It does not lean into the orangey or cherry domain, but is quite more spicy in profile. Also at a youngish 5 years it has not delved into huge tannin or vanilla or dark pitted fruit notes yet.

 

I don't know why they share this trait in common. The interesting thing is that they share more than just this one note,  but rather the bulk of the flavor profile as well. I think the Mt Vernon was a bit more full in body and possibly more intense. 

 

In any event I did pick up the remaining bottle for the bunker and have been quite enjoying this rye. I was able to compare it directly to a Frey Rye batch 1 a friend has and it did not have that flavor note in common with the Mt Vernon and Frey Ranch Batch 4.   Interesting...

 

Cheers,

RW

[Marekv8]

Whistlepig 13yo store pick in the hotel after a long day at the convention center setting up the show for tomorrow.