Old Protrero

[BobA]

On the "general" board, a post by Jeff about Best Whiskey of 2005 has a link that shows Old Protrero Rye 3 years as one also well regarded. I've not had Old P, but my impressions from posts here were that it was too young and harsh. Is this the same as what's been available? Has it matured now? Or just so distinctive they didn't know what to make of it? Should I hunt it up?

Bob

[TNbourbon]

(Shrug) I've seen recent reports that current new bottles appear/taste a bit older now, and is a better drink for it. I believe the price, too, has settled downward a bit. But, as it's still pricey, and I don't know how you'd tell old from new without viewing/tasting them side-by-side, I'm not running out for any.

[sharkman]

Amen... The ONE reason I'm not getting the Old Petrero is the price. I am a huge rye fan, but that price kills me for such a young whiskey. I'll wait for them to come to grips on the price, them maybe...

[cowdery]

I was one of the judges of WHISKY Magazine's Best of the Best and tasted the Old Protrero as part of it. The tasting was blind, but we found out later what we had tasted. This Old Protrero tasted completely different from any Old Protrero I had tasted in the past. It tasted like a good rye whiskey. Speculation is that Maytag, while not changing the label, is now bottling some old whiskey. I liked it so well that when Dominic, WHISKY's editor, told the judges we could claim any of the remaining bottles of the products we tasted, I set my sites on the Old Protrero, but Mike Veach beat me to it. I probably won't go out and buy a bottle, although I have noticed that the price has come down too, but I will stop at that booth at WhiskeyFest next month.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

What is the proof of this new version? The reason I ask is because there is a new 90 proof version doing the rounds in Europe (even available here in icy Sweden). I have not brought myself to trying it, yet. (too much left in the old bottles.)

[LeNell]

The one labeled 18th century (the youngest) is 125.1 proof. The one now labeled single malt straight rye is 90 proof. It's aged in new wood like bourbon. The youngest version is aged slightly in uncharred wood.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

OK, thanks.

Have you tried the 90 proof and, if so, what do you think? I´m myself a big fan of the older version of the one aged in new wood.

[LeNell]

Yeah, I did a side by side of them a few weeks back. I actually liked them both and found the taste much better than my first experience with them about 2 years ago. The 90 has a very attractive sweet, grain flavor balanced with just a touch of oaky vanilla. Really lovely, I thought. And while it is too expensive for cocktail making in general, it made a superb Manhattan.

[brockagh]

I have tried the 2 yr old and the 3 yr old. I found them excellent. The samples I have were bottled at about 61 percent abv.

The more I taste them, the more I like them. I think they're going to be stunners when they're a little older.