Very Olde St. Nick Cask Strength Summer Rye Whiskey

Smell: Quite full and rich! Orange peel, orange, mint, light caramel, various other herbs, faint maple, some oiliness. The faintest creosote. This is a really promising aroma. I'm looking forward to drinking this rye, despite my prior disappointments with Very Old St. Nick. Taste: Rich and spicy, with some sweetness and maturity. It's a big, bold toasted sweetness, with vanilla, and slightly overcooked caramel providing a faint char. The spices bite quite a bit, but they don't burn a ton. They mix nicely with the bitter herbs, including some mint. The spices come across as pepper, ginger, clove, and cinnamon. I also get some nice oily richness that makes me think of an oloroso finish. It does muddle the flavors a bit though. I'm really digging this taste. It's very tasty, with big, bold flavors, yet quite little alcohol. Finish: Rich toasty wood, orange, vanilla, spices. Decadent and long-lasting, though certainly not as distinct at this point. Hints of bitter herbs. - Conclusion - This is a delight. I was not expecting much after the prior two Very Old St. Nick ryes I tried, but this one knocked it out of the park. We aren't talking perfection here, but this is easily one of the best ryes I've had. The clean, herbal, spicy complexity balances with the sweet decadence so nicely. Whistlepig PiggyBack (16/23) has more herbal funk, is more muddled, and is less sweet. This really stands above it. This is has more of a bourbon sweetness to it, but it's a whole lot better regardless. Dad's Hat Cask Strength (19/23) has way more creosote and bitter herbal complexity going on. The Dad's Hat still has plenty of sweetness, but it's playing a different game than this is. Both are quite hedonistic and they're close in quality. If I had to pick one, I'd pick the Dad's Hat, but it's on the high side of a 19, so I'm thinking an 18 to 19 for this. I'm landing on an 18 because there's some alcohol now that I wasn't getting before. It's just not quite a 19. Eh, it could be a 19. This is right in that range. Coming back to this, I'm finding that it is well on parr with Russell's Reserve Single Barrel (18-19/23) and is similarly competitive with Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (18-19/23). Of the three, I'd give this a slight win, but I don't think that its muddled flavors are pulling past a 19. I'm finding Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (18/23) to be very competitive with this. It's a high 18 though and taste a bit younger than this does. I think that oloroso fruit and nuttiness pulls this up to a 19. It's flawed, but excellent. What a turn-around after those couple of underwhelming age-stated releases! Thanks, a friend, for providing this fun flight:)

Just opened. Allowed to rest in a glencairn for over 15 minutes. The aroma is reminiscent of an old-fashioned soda fountain! Vanilla cream soda and cherry cola notes are abundant. It includes oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some pepper to balance the sweetness. A yeasty bread aroma appears after sitting in the glass for a longer period. Smooth, it coats the tongue exceptionally well. It starts with a peppery sensation, followed by a burst of rye spice, which then fades into sweet cherry and vanilla. There's a medicinal quality that I believe perfectly balances between artificial cherry cough syrup flavor and real cherry and medicinal notes. The two elements seem distinct. The alcohol content lingers and provides warmth in the throat, and there are significant tannins present. The finish is extremely long, with lingering sweet vanilla and oak notes for more than two minutes after each sip. I'm uncertain about the source of this spirit or the reason for its high price, but I thoroughly enjoyed this rye. It's quite sweet, which aligns with my preferences, hence the score. Savor this one if you can obtain it and the price isn't a barrier.

Lot # 08: 113.7 proof (56.86%) Purchased as a personal 30th birthday present. Neat pour. The aroma is very subtle, almost vanishing with increased sniffing attempts. It's velvety and floral, with hints of vanilla, white wine, and aged furniture. A slightly oily mouthfeel begins with a sudden taste of tart cherry pie. This evolves into a more medicinal cherry cough syrup flavor through the middle of the palate before subsiding into a sweet cornbread taste. Subtle notes of mint, honey, and toasted oak fill in the remaining spaces. The finish persists for a considerable time with notes of black tea, baking spice, cherry wood, and a touch more cough medicine. This whiskey was definitely more enjoyable after several weeks of opening compared to when it was first tried. The flavors were dense, but the nose was underwhelming. I suggest trying it at a bar before buying a whole bottle. Overall, it didn't quite meet my expectations for such a costly bottle.

It's December 25th, and I'm committed to trying a new rye whiskey daily this month. While my expertise with rye isn't as developed as my Scotch knowledge was last year, I'm always open to recommendations for good rye whiskies. With my newfound objectives (it's good to have goals), there are some key players I'd appreciate your help locating. Please suggest your favorite, easily accessible rye. Objectives (condensed): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (4/5, WT101, Whistlepig 10, Whistlepig 12, Old Riff) I aim to distinguish between any bourbon and any rye. First attempt. One of these must be an Empire Rye. (1/1, Hudson) I'm looking for a revolting rye. I want the one that fled to Scotland to escape a scandal but fell in love with a castle, forcing it to confront or embrace the stern yet kind duke who inhabits it. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can understand why it's called a summer rye. Its light character lives up to the 'summer' description. Juicy grapes are prominent, with some green apple underneath. It reminds me of the sparkling grape juice from my childhood. White pepper cuts through this sweetness nicely, reminding me it's a rye. Some caramel and molasses also appear. The finish is dry and earthy with hints of dill and oregano. A very pleasing drink.

I had a glass at a restaurant. For the price, I anticipated something smoother; it's quite complex, with a good amount of rye spice upfront. This made it difficult for me to identify other flavors because the initial taste was harsh. Then, I added a little water... Things improved. I detected the cherry wood and baked apple notes others mentioned.