Rossville Union 5 Year Straight Rye

Hard to get in my area; finding the only bottle at a small, independent store felt like a victory. Here's my take: Smells like fresh-cut grass, ginger, herbs, eucalyptus, dill, honey graham crackers, pepper, and buttery biscuits. On the palate, there's honey, mint, white pepper, and what I'd call "cooking spices" – think thyme, basil, sage, and rosemary. Don't be mistaken, this isn't a typical 51% rye from Kentucky; it's intensely herbal without veering into medicinal territory (which is impressive). The flavors are so vibrant that this whiskey truly excels beyond its category. The finish delivers a surprisingly lengthy burst of hot rye spice and cinnamon, transitioning to a cooling menthol sensation. The texture is grainy. As someone who enjoys herbal ryes, this one hit all the right spots. It's not groundbreaking, but it's a very good MGP 95/5 rye. You can tell MGP holds back some of their finest stock for themselves, as this is clearly different from the many common versions released under various brands. For $42, it's a great value and worth buying again.

MGP, now Rossville Distilling and Ross & Squibb. They have a long history of producing spirits, selling their distillate to others for aging and bottling, and now releasing it under their own brand. This is a positive development. We know their product is good, so what are they choosing to market themselves? The nose is familiar, with floral grain, vanilla, and a hint of pepper spice and wet leather. Sweet cereal, spicy grass and pepper, and earthy spices. It has average viscosity and a light golden color in the glass. A good ethanol burst, with vanilla oak and tannins, and a minty tingle in the long finish. It smooths out and opens up with ice. When priced appropriately, this is a really good rye, but it's difficult to find locally, otherwise, I'd make it a regular daily drinker. I look forward to trying the barrel proof version.

A bold Straight Rye Whiskey from Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, created with a mix of two mash bills. The first consists of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, while the second is 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley. It was aged for 5 to 7 years in new American white oak barrels before being blended and bottled at 94 proof. It features an aromatic profile of grains, wood, dried fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices. Its rich and spicy character adds notes of caramel apples, butterscotch, toffee, dill, mint, malted barley, and sweet corn. The finish is long and warm, with notes of toasted oak, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, rye bread, chocolate, burnt sugar, and smoke.

Rye and cinnamon are the primary characteristics of this bottle. Sweet and fruity scents are mingled with rye, banana, buttery toast, a light smokiness, and powdered cinnamon. The taste delivers spicy cinnamon, but not in the style of Fireball. The warmth is significant but as expected for a rye. The medium finish is satisfactory, but a longer one would have resulted in a higher rating. An excellent value and a good dram to share with friends and family who appreciate whiskey, particularly a fine rye.

Flaviar advent calendar day #8 Nose: Rye spice, cinnamon, bread, oak. A faint hint of fruity gummy bear. Nutmeg. Palate: Pleasantly spicy, mild caramel, a touch of herbal notes, cocoa, fruit leather. A mild herbal minty note. Oak, cherry, cinnamon. There's a fruity sweetness here to balance the spicy notes and bitter oak tannins. Finish: Cherry, oak, cocoa powder, with heat at the back of the throat.

Barrel Select: Spice-28999, 50% ABV Nose: Surprisingly sweet for a rye. I tried the barrel strength of this rye and found it quite smooth. This one goes down easily too. It leaves a pleasant, lingering warmth in the chest. Abundant sweet caramel and a late licorice note. The rye character is strong, but the heat is handled well. I'm very pleased with this buy.