Peerless 3 Year Kentucky Straight Rye

Nose: Smells warm, like baked pie crust or toffee, burnt caramel. The color is dark for a 3-year-old. The alcohol burn is surprisingly mild for 110 proof. Taste: Wow, that's a spicy rye! The spiciness comes from the rye grain itself, not the alcohol. It's incredibly smooth with minty notes, hints of caramel and vanilla, like spearmint, and chocolate. Nose: I still can't identify the distinct aroma on the nose. It's something darker and richer than usual, perhaps dark chocolate-covered raisins. Taste: Still as intense as the first taste! Wow, this 3-year-old rye is incredible! If you enjoy a powerful rye kick, this is it! It's a strong and flavorful rye whiskey, definitely worth what I paid. I got a fantastic deal on it, but it's truly among my favorite whiskies. Well done to Kentucky Peerless Distillery on this one! I'm eager to taste their 4, 5, and 6-year-old ryes!

When the 2-year bottling was released, I found it quite absurd that it was priced around $115 retail, so I was never going to purchase it. Then, I saw the 3-year version at Costco for $80 and couldn't pass it up. Wow, the aroma on this is fantastic, with notes of burnt caramel and a faint hint of mint. On the palate, there's a definite strong alcohol burn, which is expected at 108 proof. There's a lot of rye spice, and I'm also picking up some marshmallow flavors. The finish is long with a considerable amount of oak, especially for its age. I have to say, this is a truly excellent rye whiskey that looks and tastes like a rye that could easily be 7-8 years old.

The aroma has hints of vanilla, herbal notes (mint), and some cedar sweetness. The flavor strongly suggests Rye, with salty, vanilla, almond, and cedar notes. It evolves to honey and intensified vanilla, then marzipan, opening up nicely. Give it some time in the glass. It's interesting because it initially seemed excessively salty, but it found its balance. (reminiscent of salted caramel). (I did taste it alongside Whistle Pig 10 year, and the WP was significantly better).

Tasted neat. The aroma brings to mind the fruit cups we received in school, with some minty ethanol notes—similar to Vicks VapoRub. The flavor is a pleasing combination of sweet and spicy. I detect notes of black licorice and dried banana, along with mint, cinnamon, and cracked pepper. The finish is of moderate length, with hints of leather, oak, and general baking spices.

Starts very warm. Abundant butterscotch and vanilla, followed by smoke. A slight sharpness and a hint of bitterness on the back of the tongue aftertaste. A big fan.

Very young and sharp. It improves slightly with water, and the aftertaste truly shines after a minute or two. It just needs more time to soften.