Laws San Luis Valley Straight Rye

The nose starts with a sharp sensation and slightly diluted lemon polish concentrate, followed by tart orange juice, then dill, pickle brine, and charred caraway seeds with a moderate ethanol sting. The taste has a medium mouthfeel, beginning with light caramel and pears before the tart lemon polish takes over along with a pronounced spice that shifts to extremely bitter notes of clay, pickling spices, and cigarette ash water, with a moderate ethanol sting. The finish is medium in length with cigarette ash, ground caraway seeds, pickling spices, tart orange juice, and clay. It's not surprising that this whiskey was disappointing, with an aroma that initially stings your nose, followed by a mix of cleaning products, citrus, and pickle juice; it's surprisingly pleasant at first taste before that cleaning product with a strong drying spice takes over and fades to a blend of dirt, clay, spices, and cigarette ash, finishing with light fruit, some rye spice, and mostly earthy/ashy bitterness. It seems I've saved the worst of this brand, hopefully soon to be renamed, for last. I compared it side-by-side with their four grain and this is inferior, though not quite my least favorite whiskey overall. Many thanks to a friend for providing samples of this whiskey for review.

Nose - mint, brown sugar, floral hints, orange zest, caramel, vanilla, clove, allspice, marshmallow, baked apple, cinnamon, mild woodiness, and slight to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - mint, orange and lemon zest, strongly brewed tea, clove, spiced vanilla, dill, caramel, spicy wood, floral notes, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, a noticeable alcohol sting, finishing medium short with mint, baking spices, and woody tea flavors. This is quite good! Perhaps my preference for high rye content in rye whiskeys explains why this stands out from the unremarkable Laws four grain bourbon and wheat whiskey samples I tried. It's not exceptional, but definitely an improvement. It still has the youthful vibrancy of its relatives, yet seems slightly more mature and cohesive. The aroma is sweet, spicy, and floral, with some pleasant baked fruit undertones. The palate intensifies the spice and introduces an over-steeped tea note, which I know some find unappealing. I, however, enjoy those tea characteristics. All in all, this is shaping up to be a solid rye. It's just too young for a higher rating. I suspect the bonded version is quite good. However, the price point is still poor. It costs the same as Pikesville, and it's nowhere near comparable.

Continuing my series of tasting small bottles. This one is 100ml (3.5 oz) and cost $9. The label indicates it's aged at least 2 years and bottled at 47.5% ABV. Tasting it neat. It has a brown copper hue and leaves average coating marks in the glass. The aroma is subtle, with light musty grain and fruity notes – cherry, Juicy Fruit – along with some spicy grass and burnt sugar. In the mouth, peppermint is dominant, accompanied by burnt sugar, stone fruit, and a burst of ethanol. The texture is thin. The finish turns tart – cherry, dill – and the mint sensation persists. There's very little oak tannin, vanilla, or peppery rye notes. Adding ice further dilutes the rye notes and emphasizes the thin, tart/cherry/dill characteristics. I decided to sample this 100ml mini because of the $85 price for a 750ml bottle and my prior dissatisfaction with the Laws Four Grain Bourbon last year. I'm glad I did. While the distillery's production story is commendable, the flavors do not excite me. This rye might improve with more time in oak, but the thin, tart mint is distracting.

These tasting notes were recorded blind (Flaviar Advent Calendar). The aroma is reminiscent of vodka, specifically an oaked vodka, with an unpleasant sour wax component. Adding water actually intensifies this aroma. The taste is quite hot when sampled neat. As the alcohol burn subsides, a pleasant and unexpected caramel flavor emerges, overshadowing the sour wax. Water mutes this promising caramel note. There are hints of dusty corn/grain husk and cinnamon spice, but the waxiness persists. Interestingly, the flavors become more apparent on the finish. The finish is long, and once the sour wax dissipates, enjoyable notes of corn, caramel, cinnamon, and dill spice are present. This reminds me of a multi-grain mash bill whiskey. While it has enjoyable moments, I found myself trying to overcome the persistent sour waxiness to reach them. I will not be purchasing this. Overall Rating: C- (Below Average)

A refined, grain-to-glass Straight Rye Whiskey from Laws Whiskey House in Denver, Colorado. It's made with 100% semi-wild, sweet winter heirloom rye from the Cody Family Farm in the San Luis Valley (50% raw & 50% malted); aged for 4 years in new 53-gallon charred oak barrels before bottling at 47.5% ABV. It has an aromatic beginning with hints of citrus, grain, flowers, wood, herbs & spices; a bold middle adds notes of black tea, sweet mint, anise, salted toffee, orange oil & stewed fig; leading to a balanced conclusion of medium duration with notes of Serrano green peppercorn, oak & orange zest. April 2023

The aroma is defined by salted toffee, baking spices, and a potent floral scent. There's also a strong smell of ethanol. The taste is a bit intense for my preference when drinking rye neat. Black tea and salted toffee are present, along with rye spice and an oily quality. The finish is harsh and creates a warming sensation in my chest. A bit of water softens that but significantly reduces the flavor. It would likely be excellent in a well-made cocktail.