Straight Rye, 6-16 Years, 46% ABV, $40

This is a blend of 6 and 16 year old sourced rye according to the distiller. That makes it the oldest rye I’ve had yet.  It’s also worth noting that the 6 year old rye contains 95% rye in the mash bill (only 51% is required to call it rye whiskey).

The nose is mild, but nice… toffee, straw, ginger, cocoa and dark cherries. The taste fruity and spicy up front and mildly woody on the finish without loosing the fruity and spicy elements… and it lasts a long time. The flavors are lemon, ginger, cherry, apple, pear, honey, dark roasted coffee, black pepper and orange. The finish is woody, but not leathery and the complementary spice and subtle fruits add a lot to it.

This is a great rye whiskey and my favorite to date, edging out the Willett Single Barrel mostly because of the nice aging elements. I’d love to get a taste of their now depleted 16 year old Rocky Mountain Rye, but that’s highly unlikely. At some point I may spring for a bottle of their 21 year old version.