Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Select

Selected in 2019 from Big Red Liquors, bottle #39 of 240, called "Spice." MGP is a top producer of rye whiskey, and Rossville Union demonstrates this. Before this bottle, I had only tried the barrel proof, and that was sufficient for me to seek out more. I saw this single barrel pick and two others ("Savory" and "Sweet," which I also bought) about a year prior, and I'm unsure why I didn't buy sooner. Eager to discover if the anticipation was justified. The color is good, moderately dark. I anticipate specific whiskeys for comparison, as this is expected to highlight the spicy characteristics of rye. Surprisingly, the primary aroma is corn sweetness, which I presume comes from the mash bill containing half the amount of rye (rye whiskey should not exist if made with less than 95% rye). I detect a pleasant, fresh rye aroma, like a grain, slightly mellowed by the barrel, but the only spice I notice originates from the ethanol. Thankfully, the flavor develops into some spiciness. The initial taste is predominantly sweet, but the rye spice stimulates the gums, creating a warming sensation from within rather than on the whiskey itself. This is pleasing and intensifies with added air, but the finish introduces a peculiar malty note that clashes with the fresh grassy and minty rye grain flavors also present in the finish. The lingering warmth is decent, but not particularly distinctive. This is a good whiskey, and if it represents the typical flavor of standard Rossville Union, it's certainly a success. My objection is that someone decided this was the dominant flavor, compared to the other barrels sampled. If this was genuinely the spiciest barrel offered that year, I concede, but I doubt it, as I've had many rye whiskeys with intense heat, and MGP should be capable of achieving that. However, as mentioned earlier, the issue might stem from the low 51% rye mash bill (if used in this batch), because the secret to a truly spicy and gum-tingling rye whiskey is, believe it or not, rye.

"A 2019 selection from a specific liquor store, bottle #40 of 240, given the nickname 'Savory.' While I appreciate a well-crafted spicy rye, and believe spice should be paramount in all ryes, a savory rye is considerably rarer and more challenging to perfect. I'm certain I won't seek out the sweet variety, but considering the difficulty in obtaining this 'savory' barrel pick outside of Indiana, I'm pleased to have acquired it. The color is consistent with other barrel picks I've sampled, which is quite expected. The aroma strikes a fine balance between raw grain and spicy rye. The spice intensifies, eventually causing me to pull back from the ethanol. Upon returning to smell it again, I detect a very faint hint of tropical fruit (banana?), which bodes well for a savory profile. The flavor begins with a medium raw grain character, the tropical fruit notion reappearing just before the rye spice grows to dominate. Once it reaches its peak, if air is not introduced, the experience ends there, resulting in a quite decent rye whiskey. However, if air is introduced during the finish, it transforms into almost a banana-flavored whiskey. What enhances this further is that the spice level remains prominent, ensuring that rye is clearly the star. Savory is a flavor profile that is exceptionally difficult to execute properly, especially since most individuals prefer sweet, spicy, or other characteristics over savory. It's even more challenging to achieve this in a whiskey, particularly a rye whiskey where spice should always be the primary focus. Tropical fruit and banana are not necessarily the first elements that come to mind when I think of 'savory,' but in terms of tasting notes in a whiskey, I believe this barrel achieved it exceptionally well. This is a great pick, with the only disappointment being that this barrel pick's profile is significantly spicier than the 'Spice' pick, which is a complete inversion. The only way I can envision this barrel or profile being improved is if it were left at barrel proof. At that point, I would gladly pay double without hesitation to keep this flavor profile available on the bar.

One of the better ryes I've encountered. It lacks any funkiness, offering instead a lot of spice, caramel, and dark fruit on both the nose and palate, with a medium-long finish. A fantastic barrel selection by Someone Say Whiskey!

Tastes exactly like pickle juice. Awful.