E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye

A balanced whiskey crafted with a unique combination of only rye and malted barley from Tennessee. Bottled in Bond and named for Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, a strong advocate for the 1897 Bottled in Bond Act, this rye whiskey is aged for 4 years before bottling. It begins with an oily and sour character, featuring notes of rye spices, wood, hints of dried peels, orange zest, vanilla, and linseed. The middle is rich with notes of cooked fruit, caramel, potpourri, rye, black pepper, hints of butterscotch, fresh dill, and prune. It concludes with a long, sweet, and savory finish of port, spice, and wheat. January / May 2018

NEAT NOSE - A very faint and unmemorable smell. Vanilla and honey. PALATE - Smooth, sweet, and enjoyable but unremarkable. Vanilla, lightly toasted oak, and some rye spice. FINISH - Short, with added juicy fruit gum and apples. BUY? - ONLY if you can find it at the suggested retail price and if you absolutely must have it, as I did. BUY AGAIN? - Most likely not. There are many ryes I would prefer that are less expensive, have higher proof, and more flavor (in my opinion). I'd also reach for them more often, leaving this to gather dust. It's good, but overhyped.

The aroma is a fantastic blend of creamy oak, bubblegum, floral rye, and sweet fruit. It seems very well-balanced and is unmistakably rye. It's very easy to approach and invites a sip. The taste begins with a rush of rye spice that builds gently, along with creamy oak and sweet fruit. It's quite simple yet packed with flavor, possessing a lot of body. The finish is long, spicy, and oaky. The taste lingers in your mouth and provides a bit of chewiness for more flavor. An excellent sipping rye.

Damn, this is fantastic. Truly excellent. Almonds came to mind initially on the aroma. Then it shifted to menthol and mint... And botanicals. Florals, botanical notes, spearmint, menthol, with cocoa powder underneath and a hint of coffee. It's like two distinct flavor profiles. Coats the mouth with oil, which I adore. A touch of cinnamon. The finish is extended, rich, oily, and herbal. While a subtle sweetness lingers, it's clearly instructed to remain subdued... It has substance. Yep, a superb glass of Rye

Nose: Banana candy, spun sugar, clove, honey, scorched bread, peaches, general rye sweetness, ethanol. Taste: Honey, toasted rye, banana candy, spice, cherry, wood, caramel. A fantastic rye. Again, worth it if you can get it at the suggested retail price, but that seems to be a common issue with many products from that distillery. A little strong on the alcohol smell, but still amazing. Full-bodied, sugary, and spicy. It's not incredibly intricate, but it still offers a strong and pleasing flavor.

Excellent. The heat of black pepper on the scent evolves into white pepper on the tongue. It surely drinks like a youthful high rye bourbon, yet it offers much depth. Though no corn is present in the grain recipe, the toasted wood emerges with enjoyable vanillin that, after roughly twenty minutes in the glass, shifted towards mature banana for me. The conclusion is drawn-out and stings slightly (pleasantly) on the middle of the tongue, showing some cinnamon.