Volume 1, Issue 1
September 2017
American Ryes W H I S K E Y
W H I S K E Y S I N C L U D E D :
Sazerac Rye Straight Rye Whiskey Knob Creek Small Batch Rye Whiskey Woodford Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey George Dickel Rye Whisky Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Straight Rye Whiskey Pikesville 6 Year Straight Rye Whiskey
S O C I E T Y
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B R A Z O S
V A L L E Y
Inaugural Club Tasting Welcome to the first edition of the Whiskey Society of the Brazos Valley newsletter and tasting. It is my hope that you’ll find the guided tastings relaxing, informative and fun each month. Inside each kit, you’ll find 2 oz. of each of the 5-6 whiskeys of the month, labeled by number, not name, in case you’d like to taste them blind before reading more about them. In addition, you’ll find this newsletter in your email inbox, including some education on that month’s theme, tasting notes, and some basic info on how to taste your whiskeys. The cost to participate is simply the retail cost of the whiskey and the glass vial it comes in. There is no upcharge for the newsletter, club profit, my profit, etc. Additionally, for each glass vial you return,
you’ll get a 50 cent credit towards your next club tasting fee.
I think this is a fantastic opportunity for people to participate in themed tastings, where they can learn more about their whiskey preferences and the craft behind the beverage, as only trying things side by side can teach you. Additionally, only chipping in for 2oz of a bottle is a much more economical way of trying out a variety of things, instead of buying full
bottles you may, or may not end up liking, or trying whiskeys at a substantial mark-up at a bar. Furthermore, I hope to begin to mix in a bottle or two of rarer/more expensive whiskey each month, where you can hopefully get a chance to try something special you might otherwise never have tasted. I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am about starting this journey together. Feel free to contact me at bpb25@cornell.edu with future suggestions for themes and whiskeys.
Welcome to the Club! -Brad
How To Taste Whiskey There are four components to tasting whiskey: The glass, your nose, your mouth, and water. Depending on how you use these four elements, you will get wildly different impressions of a whiskey. Lets go through them one by one:
Glass: Most people tasting
whiskey professionally use a glencairn or a copita. Glasses that are skinnier at the top then the bottom are ideal, as they concentrate the smells of the whiskey. Rocks glasses are next best, with a shot glass being dead last.
Nose: Smell determines the
large majority of flavors, not your tastebuds. Smelling (or nosing) a whiskey should be done with your nose close, but not in, the whiskey glass. Get it too close and you’ll get only alcohol, find an ideal spot just farther than that.
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H ow t o Ta s t e W h i s k e y (Cont.) Mouth: You should take a
small sip, being careful to not slurp air as you would with wine (this will bring out the alcohol burn). Let the whiskey touch all areas of your mouth, before swallowing. Pay attention to both mouthfeel and flavors, as you sense different things depending on where the dram is in your mouth.
Water: This is open to
much personal preference, but most whiskey benefit from a drop or two of water (or a couple more if they’re particularly high proof). The water allows additional compounds to come out of solution in the whiskey and more easily be sensed. You can watch the oils (where much of the flavor of whiskey resides) dealing with the addition of water when
you first add a drop or two. Some people prefer to avoid all water, some prefer to add ice (though the low temperature isn’t ideal for allowing you to smell/taste more), but many people prefer a drop or two of regular water. Experiment a bit to find what you like. Remember, the ideal amount may vary from whiskey to whiskey.
A m e r i c a n Ry e Rye whiskey has had a long history in the US, being the dominant form of whiskey produced in the Northern colonies/states during the 1700-1800s, owing to the predominance of rye production in the cooler climate. Pennsylvania has the deepest rye roots, where brands like Old Overholt came to be, and the nations first commercial
distillery was established in 1753 at the Bomberger’s (later Michter’s, but not the current Michter’s located in Kentucky) distillery. To be labelled “Rye Whiskey” in the US, ryes must be at least 51% rye in the mashbill, with the remaining grains being whatever mix the distiller chooses. Some producers stick close to the 51% mark, while others,
like Midwest Grain Producers, who sells spirit to many brands to bottle as their own, use a 95% rye recipe for a distinctly different taste. To qualify as a “Straight Rye Whiskey”, the whiskey must be aged in barrel at least 2 years, and not be blended with any other spirits (or anything else, save water).
W h a t D o e s Ry e Ta s t e L i k e ? Rye is a relatively light bodied grain. What does that mean? It means, unlike a grain like corn, it tends to feel thinner and less viscous in terms of mouthfeel. Typical rye flavors tend to be fruits (like cherry and raspberry), baking spices (like cinnamon and clove)
and occasionally herbs (quite often dill, especially in MGP produced rye). While grains such as wheat and corn can impart a sweetness to a whiskey, rye tends to have a much drier impres-
sion on the palate, often catering to those who think Bourbons can be too “sweet”. Finally, rye tends to be a superb grain for a long aging whiskey, evolving well and standing up to oak influce for well over 10 years.
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#1: Sazerac Rye Sazerac Rye is a straight rye (at least 2 years old) produced by Buffalo Trace, the producer of some famous whiskeys such as Weller wheated bourbon and Pappy Van Winkle. While its not stated on the bottle, its rumored that the whiskies used are 4-6 years in age. Caption describing picture or graphic.
The name is a reference to the old Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans, Where Thomas H Handy changed the recipe of the cocktail now known as The Sazerac from being based on
cognac to based on rye. It’s a fitting tribute then that this is a good starting place for any rye fan. ABV – 45.0% Some Things to Look For: This dram shows off some quintessential rye character in the warm spices that fill the mouth. Try to think of a few specific ones that come to mind, as well as note the sweet fruit that comes through on the nose and palate.
#2:Pikesville Rye Pikeville Rye is another straight rye that is age stated on the bottle at 6 years of age, meaning the youngest whiskey in the bottle is 6 years old. Produced by Heaven Hill, this is the older, bigger brother to Rittenhouse Rye, a 4 year 100 proof offering, that is an excellent value. Originally a brand dating back
to the 1890s in Maryland, it survived prohibition, only to peter out in the mid 1970s. It was revived using a barely legal rye recipe of 51% Rye, 37% Corn and 12% Barley. ABV - 55.0% Some Things to Look For: This rye is a relatively high proof dram, so be careful not to get your nose too far into the glass
while giving it a whiff. You may notice more wood notes (vanilla, caramel, etc) than some other ryes in this pack. This is also a whiskey that may show more with a drop or two of water. Be sure to take note of all of the spices that come out.
#3 George Dickel Rye George Dickel is a famous producer for a couple reasons. First, they are the “other” major producer of Tennessee Whiskey. Second, they use what’s called the “Lincoln County Process” on their new make spirit (see sidebar). Third, they generally produce rather tasty stuff. The Dickel Rye is interesting
for a few reasons. First, they did not distill it. It was produced by a distiller in Indiana called MGP. Many smaller producers will buy up juice from larger producers, especially when starting out or for products they don’t feel capable of making themselves. MGP has a fantastic reputation for their 95% Rye mashbill, which this
whiskey uses, and Dickel puts their own twist by charcoal filtering it before barreling it, as they do their other whiskeys. ABV — 45.0% Some Things to Look For: The filtering process has always brought out more fruit to me, so keep an nose and a tastebud out for some serious cherry and dill notes on this one.
Lincoln County Process: A process where new spirit must be filtered through maple charcoal before going into barrel to age. Must be used on any whiskey labelled “Tennessee Whiskey”
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#4: Knob Creek Rye Knob Creek Rye is a straight rye produced by BeamSuntory, the distillery that brings you Jim Beam with the white label and Mila Kunis advertising. Beam/Knob doesn’t provide much info on mashbill, age, etc. other than calling it a straight rye.
Some Things to Look For: This dram shows off some quintessential rye cherry, as well as a certain “medicinal” quality that some people describe as “cough syrup” or “mint”. The proof combined with other spice notes, in addition to the strong cherry in this whiskey make it arguably the most “textbook” example of rye we have in the pack.
ABV – 50.0%
#5:Russell’s Reserve Rye Russell’s Reserve Rye is a 6 Year Old Straight Rye produced by Wild Turkey and named after Jimmy Russell, their long time Master Distiller. Wild Turkey came out with this (and a single barrel version) as successors to the now discontinued Wild Turkey Rye 101, using the same mashbill of 65% Rye, 23% Corn and 12%
Malted Barley, just adding more age and proof to keep it more premium (and tastier) than the Wild Turkey Rye 81.
like. This also sports more of those aged wood notes, so look out for more leather and vanilla as well.
ABV - 45.0% Some Things to Look For: This rye has a pretty high toned fruit aspect to it, meaning the fruit is more citrus-y rather than sweeter and lower acid like jammy cherries and the
#6 Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Jack Daniel’s is a really old company, founded in the late 1860s. Usually giant, old companies are slow to change and innovate, but about 4 years ago, Jack came out with a new mashbill for the first time in (literally) ages and started making rye. Going with a higher
rye mix of 70% Rye, 18% Corn and 12% Barley, they tried to embrace the rye character. The single barrel version we have is the newest, oldest version, rumored to be 3-4 years old (but not age stated on the label). It, just like the Dickel, is charcoal filtered prior to barrel aging, using the Lincoln County Process. The ABV — 47.0%
Some Things to Look For: The filtering process again brings out a lot of fruit and a medicinal/bubblegummy note. This is really up some peoples’ alley because its unique. Single barrel products can vary widely, so while this barrel ma or may not strike your fancy, another bottle/ barrel could be totally different.
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