SCOTCH Whisky Discussion

[moecurlythanu]

^ Agree.

[Trane]

I find both the Dalwhinnie and Highland Park nice but unexceptional, maybe I'm too married to peatiness these days.

I detect no peat in Dalwhinnie

Floral and grassy is what my palate tells me.... so we're a few centuries before it gets to peat




As for HP, I've had a recent retaste of that 10h and that may be well the way to get into peat realm nicely (along with Jura)
How are the HP 12y and 15y in terms of peatyness??
Are they that much peaty-er than the 10y or is the peat fairly discreet throughout all of their expressions??

[NogbadTheBad]

I detect no peat in Dalwhinnie

Floral and grassy is what my palate tells me.... so we're a few centuries before it gets to peat




As for HP, I've had a recent retaste of that 10h and that may be well the way to get into peat realm nicely (along with Jura)
How are the HP 12y and 15y in terms of peatyness??
Are they that much peaty-er than the 10y or is the peat fairly discreet throughout all of their expressions??

You miss my point, I'm saying that I've got too married to peatiness in OTHER whisky's recently to appreciate the cleaner taste of the Dalwhinnie & Highland Park.

[per anporth]

I'm currently working my way through a bottle of anCnoc 22, a gift from a close friend. Last weekend, I had my first opportunity to share a glass of this magnificent whisky with him. What I somehow hadn't figured out is that anCnoc is a "rebranding" of Knockando...

[anesthetize2112]

Hi Guys. I enjoy Islay and other single malts like a previous poster.
I've never had a bad scotch, just ones I like more than others.
All I can afford anymore is a handle of Dewars White Label, but it does the job for $36 bucks.
Next time I get into a mortgage, remind me to adequately budget for scotch.

Bowmore 12 or 15 is fine.
Macallan Double Cask 12
Highland Park 15

[Duncan Glenday]

...
All I can afford anymore is a handle of Dewars White Label, but it does the job for $36 bucks.
...

Nothing to be ashamed of - that's one of the best blends out there, IMO.

I buy it often - but I don't admit that to the snobs - er connoisseurs - in this thread





Kidding - you guys aren't snobs. You're connoisseurs!

[NogbadTheBad]

I'll happily drink a bottle of Famous Grouse when in the mood. Usually when I've been drinking with a bunch of yahoo's all day and have to share it

[Poisoned Youth]

I'll happily drink a bottle of Famous Grouse when in the mood.

That shit was vile. I bought a bottle as it was recommended as a solid blend. For me, it's bad when you can't even mix it with something and find it tolerable. I'm usually not so harshly opinionated with any whisky, but that was a bad experience for me.

I am a fan of the Dewar's though.

[Lopez]

My daughter was in Scotland recently and visited the Bowmore distillery on Islay. She brought home to us a collection of four small bottles in boxes of their scotches. They ranged from very peated to barely peated. Deelish! The real surprise, however, was a slab of Bowmore peat-flavored vanilla fudge. Strange tasting but rather enjoyable.

[Poisoned Youth]

So am I thinking about buying a bottle or two of American rye whiskey. Outside of a few bourbons with higher rye content, I'm pretty sure I have never bought an actual rye.

I did some research and asked some opinions, and I'm down to these choices:

Pikesville - one of the "barely legal" (51%) rye whiskeys. It has remarkable reviews but also comes in at a steep 110 proof and aged 6 years.

High West Double Rye (blend of 95% and 53% 92 proof, blend of 2yr and 16yr), Bulleit Rye (95% Rye, 90 proof, NAS), James E. Pepper 1776 Rye (90% Rye, 100 proof, 2-3 yrs) - These three are all high rye %, which I'm compelled to try as they would show the greater differential in taste to bourbon.

Whistlepig (100% rye, 100 proof, 10 yr) - Getting into the premium level. The price on this makes buying it prohibitive compared to the other high rye % offerings.


Thoughts for any rye aficionados here?

[spellbound]

I have read that 100% rye mash is difficult to distill, but some companies manage to do so.

Bulleit Rye is 95% rye, the remaining 5% barley. It is good for mid priced rye. I'd buy it again.

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is 90% rye, but like most Canadian whiskies, it has a sweet taste. Also good for mid priced rye. IMO, the Bulleit shows more rye character in its flavor.

Old Overholt Rye was something I tried in my younger years, on the urging of a friend, who constantly referred to it as Old Tennis Shoe. I don't recall it being very good, but a lot of years have passed since I had any, and I doubt I knew a rye from a bourbon at the time. A low priced rye.

Those are the ones I've tried. I'd like to try Whistlepig, but my rule of thumb is if anything costs as much as Scotch, buy Scotch instead.

Canadian Club makes a 100% rye, but I have not tried it. Mid priced. I've also heard good things about Templeton Rye, but have not tried it.

I have also had some rye ales. Rye adds an interesting taste to a brew, but it is not something everyone likes. I like it.

[Trane]

I have read that 100% rye mash is difficult to distill, but some companies manage to do so.

Bulleit Rye is 95% rye, the remaining 5% barley. It is good for mid priced rye. I'd buy it again.

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is 90% rye, but like most Canadian whiskies, it has a sweet taste. Also good for mid priced rye. IMO, the Bulleit shows more rye character in its flavor.

Canadian Club makes a 100% rye, but I have not tried it. Mid priced.

I'm familiar with these three

I'm a quarter way down my Bulleit and I'm enjoying it as an alternative to barley malt... furthermore, if anyone wants a mixed drink, that's what I'll serve them.

Crown Royal used to be me fave straight-up Rye (on the rocks of course, back then) when across the pond (so that was a little less than 30 years ago), but I'm not sure I could stand it anymore, if it's still as sweet as I remember it.

CC was my fave rye-&-ginger mixed drink, but I probably wouldn't touch the stuff again. I've finished a year ago the CC Classic 12 that I'd lost track of (after 12 years abandon) and was relatively unimpressed (maybe it had vented) compared to the single malts & blended scotch I was drinking then.

[aith01]

Rye is actually my favorite whiskey, next to scotch. I liked the James E. Pepper rye, and the one by Bulleit is good too. I don't think you could go wrong with either of those.

The Sazerac rye is also very nice, and a bit smoother. Still has that distinctive rye taste though.

Never tried Whistlepig, mainly due to the price point, but it seems to have a good reputation.

A really good mid-level one is Rittenouse. It's higher-proof, but very flavorful -- and affordably priced!

[Lopez]

A couple years ago I went to a rye tasting and tried Whistlepig. Had a very interesting flavor, but when told the price, which, if I remember correctly, was $72.00, I retreated.

[wideopenears]

Rye is actually my favorite whiskey, next to scotch. I liked the James E. Pepper rye, and the one by Bulleit is good too. I don't think you could go wrong with either of those.

The Sazerac rye is also very nice, and a bit smoother. Still has that distinctive rye taste though.

Never tried Whistlepig, mainly due to the price point, but it seems to have a good reputation.

A really good mid-level one is Rittenouse. It's higher-proof, but very flavorful -- and affordably priced!

For me, the most unsung is Beam's rye. Used to have a bright yellow label. I'ts gone up a bit in price but still affordable, I believe. I'ts somewhat oily, which I actually find appealing, and it has that sharp rye tang. I like Bulliet, and Rittenhouse, as well.

[Poisoned Youth]

I have read that 100% rye mash is difficult to distill, but some companies manage to do so.

Bulleit Rye is 95% rye, the remaining 5% barley. It is good for mid priced rye. I'd buy it again.

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is 90% rye, but like most Canadian whiskies, it has a sweet taste. Also good for mid priced rye. IMO, the Bulleit shows more rye character in its flavor.

Thanks! I'm definitely leaning towards the Bulleit as it would give provide me a taste at a full-on rye with that MGP Indiana profile while still at a pretty affordable price.

Rye is actually my favorite whiskey, next to scotch. I liked the James E. Pepper rye, and the one by Bulleit is good too. I don't think you could go wrong with either of those.

The Sazerac rye is also very nice, and a bit smoother. Still has that distinctive rye taste though.

Never tried Whistlepig, mainly due to the price point, but it seems to have a good reputation.

A really good mid-level one is Rittenouse. It's higher-proof, but very flavorful -- and affordably priced!

Yeah, I looked into Sazerac and it wasn't available at the moment. The Rittenhouse is only in Maryland (and watched a tasting from Ralfy who liked it), and was pretty inexpensive. Next time I go Scotch shopping in MD, I'll pick up a bottle.

[Poisoned Youth]

A couple years ago I went to a rye tasting and tried Whistlepig. Had a very interesting flavor, but when told the price, which, if I remember correctly, was $72.00, I retreated.

The price is even higher in Virginia at $80. I also saw an interesting video where there are apparently local variations/bottlings of Whistlepig available in different states with different flavor profiles. But since I'm just delving into all that, I'll steer clear of anything too pricy for now.

For me, the most unsung is Beam's rye. Used to have a bright yellow label. I'ts gone up a bit in price but still affordable, I believe. I'ts somewhat oily, which I actually find appealing, and it has that sharp rye tang. I like Bulliet, and Rittenhouse, as well.

I'll keep an eye out for the Beam. In the various rye research I was doing, it wasn't brought up much.

[Poisoned Youth]

So I bought the Pikesville and the Bulleit. Here are my thoughts...


Bulleit: Very solid. It's like drinking bourbon without the most distinctive bourbon sweetness from the corn mash - and I like that! I found it very drinkable at 90 proof. On the nose, there are still some of those - what I would have normally described - as distinctly bourbon notes, which I suppose really is more about the whiskey itself and the aging in oak. One of the things that kept me exporting bourbon in more depth was the "sameness" of the different expressions. Now I found something different. This is peppery and warm. $30.

Pikesville: For 110 proof, this is remarkably smooth. It's also aged 6 years, which explains why. At 51% rye and something like 39% corn, I expected a very bourbon like profile. Amazingly, that's not the case. The key here is not to keep in in the mouth too long, that's when it starts to burn. You want to keep it there because it "front loads" with flavor. But it's the finish where this shines. It's dryer, more bitter, somewhat oak-like and leathery. There's some taste I can't quite put my finger on, but it's rich and lingers for a solid few minutes. $50


I'm happy with both choices. I wanted to ensure I got two distinct different expressions so I could see the difference. The Bulleit shows what a full rye can do to a bourbon-minded consumer, whereas the Pikesville shows what age and strength can bring to the table where the rye is still dominant.

[aith01]

So I bought the Pikesville and the Bulleit. Here are my thoughts...


Bulleit: Very solid. It's like drinking bourbon without the most distinctive bourbon sweetness from the corn mash - and I like that! I found it very drinkable at 90 proof. On the nose, there are still some of those - what I would have normally described - as distinctly bourbon notes, which I suppose really is more about the whiskey itself and the aging in oak. One of the things that kept me exporting bourbon in more depth was the "sameness" of the different expressions. Now I found something different. This is peppery and warm. $30.

Pikesville: For 110 proof, this is remarkably smooth. It's also aged 6 years, which explains why. At 51% rye and something like 39% corn, I expected a very bourbon like profile. Amazingly, that's not the case. The key here is not to keep in in the mouth too long, that's when it starts to burn. You want to keep it there because it "front loads" with flavor. But it's the finish where this shines. It's dryer, more bitter, somewhat oak-like and leathery. There's some taste I can't quite put my finger on, but it's rich and lingers for a solid few minutes. $50


I'm happy with both choices. I wanted to ensure I got two distinct different expressions so I could see the difference. The Bulleit shows what a full rye can do to a bourbon-minded consumer, whereas the Pikesville shows what age and strength can bring to the table where the rye is still dominant.

Nice! Glad you liked them.

I've not had the Pikesville, so it's good to know about that. If I ever come across it I will pick one up.

[chalkpie]

Nothing to be ashamed of - that's one of the best blends out there, IMO.

I buy it often - but I don't admit that to the snobs - er connoisseurs - in this thread





Kidding - you guys aren't snobs. You're connoisseurs!

I drank White label at a wedding yesterday! Not horrendous by any means.

[spellbound]

I was in a market looking at the rye whiskey. They had at least 3 from the same city in Indiana: Bulleit, Redemption, and another name I forgot. Are they the same whiskey with different brand names?

[Poisoned Youth]

I was in a market looking at the rye whiskey. They had at least 3 from the same city in Indiana: Bulleit, Redemption, and another name I forgot. Are they the same whiskey with different brand names?

The answer is essentially both yes and no. What I discovered in my research is that many companies (especially startups and restarts) source their whiskey grain and distillation from MGP in Indiana. They have an operation there that produces three mash bills (iirc). It's typically after the distillation process that these other "distilleries" take over. They age/blend/dilute/bottle/brand the whiskey to different standards.

[spellbound]

^Thanks. So I guess I'll have to try each one to learn their differences, or just stick with the one I tried and liked and save some money. The price of two bottles of rye will get you a pretty good bottle of scotch.

[chalkpie]

Is bourbon sweeter than rye generally speaking?

[spellbound]

Corn is sweeter than rye, but both can be turned into a sweet distillation.