John Drew Rye

A visitor shared this bottle with me. I had never encountered it before tasting. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn after a short rest. The pour resembles pale amber apple juice. The aroma presents vanilla, alcohol, and a hint of oak. My senses detect a young and thin spirit. Without 'straight' or an age statement on the bottle, the composition of this 90 proof spirit is uncertain. On the palate, it's light, sweet, and straightforward. Straightforward in the sense of lacking complexity. It's not unpleasant, quite drinkable, in fact. The taste surpasses the aroma's suggestion. It's entirely mild. Much like the unremarkable nature of Wonder Bread among breads. This is genuinely a suitable option for those new to rye and whiskey, or for palates that don't mesh with the typically bold and spicy profile of traditional rye. Thinking of it as a Canadian spirit actually makes more sense. I see it aligning more with a Lot 40 than an Old Overholt bottled-in-bond. For what it's worth, I prefer the fruitcake notes of Lot 40 over the vanilla in John Drew. I certainly find the price point much more appealing. At its $50 suggested retail price, I would definitely pass. At a $35 sale price, it warrants a taste if you're feeling adventurous. It faces formidable competition from Old Forester, Templeton, WT, or Rittenhouse. Indeed, the list of comparable ryes available for $35 is quite extensive. This is clearly not in the same league as a Pikeville and doesn't hold up at its suggested price. Low marks for value, but if a soft, sweet, and easy-drinking profile is the goal, this hits the mark. While I haven't tried it yet, I doubt it's suited for a classic Manhattan. Perhaps it would fare better in a sweet Old Fashioned. I'll do some experimenting. As I understand it, this is produced in Canada and then sent to Florida for branding and bottling. The narrative about this 90 proof whiskey is on the bottle's back, but I'm unsure how much is marketing versus how much genuinely impacts the flavor, which is my primary focus. Another bottle of John Drew is unlikely to find a place on my bar. It's worth sampling if you encounter it where you drink. If you dislike intense, spicy, robust rye and prefer something simple, sweet, and dessert-like, it might be a good fit for you. Average in flavor, lacking in value, but intriguing in its background. Similar to Templeton The Good Stuff, John Drew will serve as my sweet treat indulgence... until it runs out.

Revisiting this with about 25% remaining. This is not rye, period. Similar to how Templeton rye isn't rye (I admit, I enjoy Templeton for its own character) and how Casamigos Reposado or Casa Azul tequila aren't tequila (call me out if you wish) – in that these don't strongly resemble the typical taste profiles of their categories. They possess more sweetness. They border on being exaggerated representations. They might be enjoyable, but they're not authentic to the style, and to me, this doesn't taste like rye. I'd also argue it's unsuitable for cocktails needing a rye. Absolutely not for a Manhattan. Not for an Old Fashioned. Perhaps in a sour for someone with no palate for whiskey... This is excessively sweet to be considered a quality rye. It's palatable initially. But then it becomes overly sweet, heavy, and dull. I'm reducing my initial score by half a point. Finishing the rest of this bottle will be a struggle. I'll probably dilute it with soda in a highball. Definitely not buying again.

This is possibly worse than a certain popular sweet liqueur. A person unaware of whiskey nuances bought it and left it at my place. A sniff of antiseptic, a sharp burn on the tongue, and it went down the drain. This warrants a score below zero.

I suspect the establishment where I sampled this may have poured a different spirit, as following several beers and a Buffalo Trace, this tasted terrible.

Sweet with a hint of spice. It finishes with a corn-like quality. Quite enjoyable. However, once more.