Taconic Distillery Founder's Rye

It’s December 19, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game isn't as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I'm always open to suggestions for good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it's good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abbreviated): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (3/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10, Whistlepig 12) I want to be able to tell the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a rye that you have to endure. I want the one that tastes like being hungover at an indoor heated swimming pool full of screaming children. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A friend was kind enough to recommend an empire rye (McKenzie), which I'm sure would have been brilliant if I could have found it. The only one I found from New York was this one, and I bought it without knowing enough about empire ryes to even know if the distillation location was enough to make this one qualify. Turns out: no. I'm not sure which standard this whiskey fails, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's the 75% New York grown rye. I'll keep searching for a true empire rye, and if I find one, I'll provide a full breakdown of the requirements then. Nose: Marshmallow, yeast, lemon, apricot. Mint. Body: Orange marmalade. Extremely sweet. Great flavor. A bit of marshmallow here as well. Sweet tea. Powdered sugar. Finish: Has a nitrous whipped cream quality. There's milk chocolate. This finish is truly unique. This is tasty. It's a little too sweet for it to be a personal favorite or something I could drink daily, but it's a solid product that I would never refuse. If you enjoy the jelly-sweet profile of whiskey, this is something you should try at some point. They did a good job here.

This rye packs a lot of heat. It works very well in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. I enjoy drinking high-proof spirits, but the bottle I have is at 122 proof, and you can definitely feel it. It's not a bad bottle, but it's not an easy-drinking spirit if you prefer something milder.

I believe I sampled an updated version, labeled as “straight rye”. Nose: orange, fruity Palate: classic rye spice, caramel Finish: light, spicy, maple A quite good rye, nothing outstanding but tasty and easy to drink.

Smell: fruit-forward Taste: mellowed rye with a gentle heat Aftertaste: remarkably smooth, lasting a moderate time, no harshness Summary: quite good and fluid - lacks standout tastes but reliable

Very little to no aroma. Sweetness is perceived first, followed by the rye. A bit of an aftertaste. I had this at ör in Hudson. Thanks, guys!

The youthful character makes my wife uneasy. The herbal notes provide some complexity.