Starlight Single Barrel Huber's Old Rickhouse Indiana Rye

Nose: Menthol cherry cough drop, dill, caraway seed, and ethanol. The least enjoyable part of my experience, but the best was yet to come. Palate: The cherry menthol cough drop fades into marzipan Christmas candy. There are notes of ground nutmeg, and some hard cinnamon candy. A few drops of water reveal butterbrickle, and a bit of praline. Truly delightful. Finish: Long and persistent. It is warming with a burst of sweet tart candy and oaky barrel notes. I love the finish. Overall: I greatly enjoyed this 4 1/2 year old rye. Once I got past the menthol on the nose, which was a bit like "cherry-scented Ben-Gay," it just became really good with each sip. Huber's Starlight Distillery is well-versed in distillation, being a leader in quality Brandy. They age excellent wine, and their venture into rye and bourbon is spot on. The fact that they have never sourced their spirits and are producing something of this caliber has placed them on my list of distilleries to monitor, and they should be on yours. A quality product from Indiana.

A barrel selection. Minimal aroma, with faint suggestions of oak and caramel. The taste is truly fantastic. Sweet caramel and oak are present, very typical of bourbon, but then a pleasant rye spice emerges on the palate. Lingering warmth and oak notes remain. This was a great experience and I will certainly seek out another Starlight Rye.

Toasted caramel and a strong spicy rye presence lead the way. Hints of orange peel and chili pepper also appear subtly. The alcohol feels a bit unbalanced and it finishes warmer than expected for its 114.2 proof. This particular bottling receives significant hype; perhaps this barrel wasn't the best example...

Although I don't typically drink Rye, I enjoy this one. Faint fruit and spice on the nose. The taste is an explosion of caramel, spice, and vanilla. Medium finish with spice and a bit of burn.

The high alcohol content made me hesitant, but this is a very satisfying spirit to enjoy neat! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Solid, great rye flavor, strong bite on the finish.