Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-03-26

Here we are again... yes I know this photo looks familiar,

But it is what it is... cheers!

Tonight, we're tasting 3 Ryes along with the Trit from the last 24 Days of Whiskey. Which is the best Rye... we're about to find out. We have the Whistle Pig 10 Year Small Batch Rye at 50% ABV vs. the Jefferson's Ocean Aged Double Barrel Rye, Voyage 26, 48% ABV vs. the FEW Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey, 50% ABV, vs. Branch Point Trit Straight Whiskey, 46% ABV. Of the 4 ... which is the best rye?

I poured these into glasses and then randomized them so these were blind other than knowing they were all 'rye' and what boozes they might be. 

Glass 1 : On the nose I got a touch of black licorice, baking spice, rye spice an touch of chocolate, and some dust. The taste I got cinnamon, black tea, licorice, baking spice, wood, it was a touch hot. The finish was similar - baking spice, cinnamon with a wood dryness at the end. This was a very "rye" rye... and over all very nice.

Glass 2 : The nose was baking spice, cinnamon, rye, brown sugar and a touch of dill. The taste was similar, with cinnamon and brown sugar leading things off, with some baking spice and dill in the background. I got more cinnamon and baking spice on the finish, along with a heat that lingers... and lingers ... and lingers. Pretty good overall, but not as 'rye' as the first rye.

Glass 3 : On the nose I got a bit of an odd grassy note, along with cinnamon, hay, molasses, honey and malt. After I notice the malt... it's a lot of malt. So much so that this reminds me of an Irish Whiskey more than a Rye. The taste is similar : honey, cinnamon, touch of spice, hay, grassy, malty... nothing too surprising. The finish is the same - cinnamon, honey, wood dryness. Overall this is really good, but in a rye flight it just doesn't pull it's weight. 

Glass 4 : On the nose I get some brown sugar and some cinnamon, a touch of dill, and some heat. The taste is brown sugar and some cinnamon ... it honestly reminds me of a bourbon rather than a rye. The finish is cinnamon that lingers, oak dryness, brown sugar... it's good. But it's also the least rye of the bunch, so for this flight it's going to come in last place.

So overall Glass 3 and 4 were in the back of the pack. Glass 4 was the Jefferson's Ocean Aged Double Barrel Rye, Voyage 26.. 48% ABV. It's easy drinking, but it's just not that interesting for a rye. Tonight I rated this a 3.25 ... originally I rated it a 3.75... it just fell flat. Glass 3 was the Brach Point Trit Straight Whiskey, 46% ABV. This might have been the best whiskey overall, but it would have done better vs Irish Whiskeys than vs Rye Whiskeys. In this line up, as a rye, I rated it a 3.25 with the original rating being 3.75. 

Which left us with glass 1 and 2. Tonight glass 1 was the winner. Glass 2 was the Whistle Pig 10 Year Small Batch Rye 50% ABV... it was good, but for which was the best Rye, that goes to the FEW Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey, 50% ABV... it was just the best Rye overall. The Whistle Pig I rated 3.50 both nights, and I'd give FEW a 3.50 both nights as well.

Good stuff - see you next Wednesday (: 

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-03-19

OK - at it again, tonight I am drinking the four Bourbons from the 2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y in a blind flight. We'll see what I think this time...

I poured 1oz samples into each of the glasses that have been labeled on the bottom and mixed them up. I then nosed and tasted each one, came up with my favorite two, tasted those again side by side, and decided on the best of the bunch and rated each one again as well. 

Glass 1) On the nose, I get some peanut, cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses and a touch of dusty along with some dill. On the taste - this is the first drink of the day, and it initially came across hot - red hot cinnamon hot. With a few more sips, it does tame down a bit, and I get some brown sugar, a touch of lemon, a touch of wood, and the dusty note again. The finish is cinnamon, a touch of spice, brown sugar, some tingle near the end, and a bit of dill way in the back. Overall this is solid - I put it on par with my go to budget Wild Turkey 101 - so I'll rate it a 3.25/5.0

Glass 2) On the nose, I get some floral, honey, brown sugar and some spearmint. The taste is brown sugar, hot cinnamon and mint. The mint carries over to the finish, along with some spice, a touch of wood as well. The finish hangs around for some time and builds. The more I drink this, the more I like it - leaning towards 3.5/5.0 for this one.

Glass 3) The nose I find bubble gum, cherry cough drop, light molasses. The taste is a bit flat, but the cherry cough drop does come through. The finish is not very strong, but it does linger. The cherry sweetness is the biggest note, but I do get a little wood/oak in the back as well. This one just isn't hitting for me tonight, and I'll give it a 3.0/5.0

Glass 4) The nose I get cherry, brown sugar, touch of menthol and maybe some tobacco - though that could just be the menthol suggesting tobacco to me. The taste is a bit watery, some baking spice, cinnamon heat that builds over time. The finish I get a cherry menthol cough drop note, come wood, some cinnamon heat. It's all right overall. Initially I liked this the best, but the more I went back to it, the more I found it lacking, giving it a 3.25/5.0

Glass 3 was the Tin Cup 14 Year. It just didn't do well head to head with higher proof offerings - at least in a quick shoot out format. I enjoyed it more a few months ago, but tonight it just fell flat. Original rating was 3.5, tonight it was a 3.0. Glass 4 was the Cooper's Craft. It wasn't bad, but there was nothing unusual about it. Standard bourbon. Rated 3.00 originally, 3.25 tonight.

Which left glass 1 and 2. Glass 1 was the Baker's 7 Year, 107 Proof. This was solid and tasty, but glass 2 was a touch better, which was the Maker's Mark Cask Strength, 55% ABV. Tonight it was the most interesting. Originally I gave the Baker's a 3.75 rating, tonight I gave it a 3.25. And the Maker's received a 3.50 rating both nights.

Next week, we have 4 Rye Whiskies head to head... we'll see which one I enjoy the most, cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-03-12

Ah, here we are... Whisk(e)y Wednesday. For the sampling today, I'm putting the four Irish Whiskeys from the 2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y into a blind flight. Let's see how they do and if my thoughts are any different from before...

I poured 1oz samples into each of the glasses that have been labeled on the bottom and mixed them up. I then nosed and tasted each one, came up with my favorite two, tasted those again side by side, and decided on the best of the bunch and rated each one again as well. 

Glass 1) On the nose I got caramel, creme brulee sugar, some orange as well. The taste - malt, initial pepper heat, brown sugar and bright citrus. The finish is peppery in the front, it's sweetness that lingers a long time, malt in the back. Going back to the nose after tasting - I find the malt there as well. Overall, this is pretty good, and I'll rate it 3.75/5.0 in this tasting.

Glass 2) The nose is bright orange, honey and sugar. The taste is peppery heat, somewhat intense. I get the sugar in the back as well. I was caught a bit off guard on this one. I've not been drinking much whisk(e)y lately and this one initially punched me around a bit. But after some acclimation, I started enjoying this one quite a bit. The finish I got a tingly heat and malt. Pretty robust and the finish did linger nicely. While the nose was a bit soft, the flavor and finish was surprisingly good. Overall I'll rate this 4.0/5.0.

Glass 3) I found soft flower, perfume, orange citrus, cugar candy and it seemed a bit dusty on the nose. The taste was flat, a bit malty, some floral, heat if I waited for it, some brown sugar and some orange. The finish was a touch of spice initial, then floral, perfume, that dusty note I got from the nose comes back as well. It lingers some, but overall this was underwhelming. Just not enjoying this one to much this go around, and I'll rate it a 3.0/5.0.

Glass 4) The nose I got some initial funk - not exactly sure what it was, but it wasn't pleasant, along with some acetone, apple and molasses. The taste I was getting the acetone and molasses. And the finish followed with acetone, floral, candy sugar and a touch of heat. For whatever reason, tonight this one was really a miss for me - rated 2.75/5.0.

Glass 3 was Knappogue Castle 12 Year California Blend - originally I rated that one a 3.5, so 3.0 is lower. Glass 4 was the Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey - which I did originally rate a 3.5 as well... so I just wasn't feeling it.

Trying Glass 1 and 2 side by side, the clear winner was Glass 2. It was just more interesting overall. Glass 1 ended up being the Powers Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Jonh's Lane, Aged 12 Years... which I rated 3.75 both times. 

And the winner in Glass 2 was Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength, Batch B1/22. While overall I didn't think this Redbreast CS was as good as some past ones, it's till good, and I rated it 4.0 both times. Next time I'll be putting the 4 bourbons from the 24 Days of Whisk(e)y up against each other in the same format - we'll see which one comes out ahead for me... cheers!