Castle & Key Restoration Rye 2020 (Batch 1)

A friend brought this over along with its sister bottle. Both were purchased directly from the distillery and picked up at the location itself, despite the winding and icy roads. Batch 1 initially excited me with its higher proof. I believe this was bottle number 3000-something. Labeled as 3 years old, I must say its youth is evident from start to finish. The color is light golden. The nose is sparse and a bit undecided about what it wants to convey. There’s a dose of green apple and caraway. No real vanilla, not much wood influence, and honestly not much rye grain either. The palate is thin with... well, not much. Something like lemongrass leads to caraway and then a surge of candy cigarette sweetness, and then... it's gone. I don’t know what was paid for this, but I’d be hesitant to spend more than $18 if I had no idea this was a flagship bottling from a new distillery down the road. Bottom line - buy batch 2.

A bold Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey from Castle & Key Distillery in Kentucky, made with a mash bill of 63% rye, 20% malted barley, and 17% yellow corn. It was aged for 3.5 years in new American white oak barrels and bottled at 103 proof. It starts aromatically with notes of grains, wood, stone & dried fruits, flowers, herbs & spices; followed by a slightly creamy & herbal middle with notes of barley, sweet corn, honey, lemon, baked apple, dried cherries, orange rind, maple syrup, fudge, dill & spearmint; leading to a long, dry & warm end with notes of oak, rye, white pepper, cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, molasses cookies & lemon zest.

NOSE Caramel, fruit, oak, roasted corn, toasted nuts, biscuits, baking spice, and some light chalky vanilla. A fairly standard aroma, with much less of a spicy kick than anticipated. This is a mellow rye, which isn't a negative, just something to note. PALATE Herbaceous rye spice, oak, roasted corn, toasted nuts, baked apples, cinnamon, caramel, and some light hints of vanilla and clove. Castle and Key Restoration Rye is considerably spicier on the palate. It's also less sweet, with more rustic and earthy notes emerging, picking up more of that "typical" rye character. FINISH Medium-long, with herbal notes, baking spice, oak, and fruit, ending with a peppery pop.

Appearance: light gold Nose: brown sugar, cinnamon, orange peel. Palate: a bomb of pepper and cinnamon! A couple swirls and a chew gives you a sweet citrus coating. Nice silky coating! Finish: It finished nicely... not too long but not too short. Leaves a sort of dry mouthfeel, similar to the one you get after eating a mouthful of almonds. Rating: This is Batch 1, and I really like it. For $50 (what I paid for it), it’s something I can really enjoy on a cold evening right before moving on to higher proof spirits. I am really excited to see this place mature and find its sweet spot in the aging process. For a 2-3 year old product... I am impressed.

I looked for this bottle for a long time and finally found it. I was eager to try it but felt let down. It's a very young rye, and unless you like that mouth-burning spice, it's just too immature. Adding ice helped reduce the spice, but it was so overpowering that the flavors were overshadowed. A friend couldn't even finish it. Their comment: “That is RAW!” The finish is short. I believe it could be a very good rye if it aged longer and softened a bit. As it is, I would only use it in a cocktail.

Initially on the nose, I detect considerable sharp menthol alongside some nutty and floral notes, with an underlying hint of vanilla. The vanilla reappears on the palate, but then waves of spice and heat dominate, with a trace of licorice toward the end. There's a pleasant, extended finish with a nearly peppermint freshness at the very end. If you appreciate Ryes, this one is sure to impress.