The Four Finalsts and the new contender. They’re all good.
It has taken me an awfully long time to get around to doing this. Part of that was the arrival of summer, which is generally not a whiskey-drinking time of year for me, and then getting ready for Nats (which kept me sober) and at some point my schedule got kind of twisted around where I didn’t have a nice block of time in the evenings anymore that I could devote to this. So in order to finally get this written, I’m starting at 2:30 in the afternoon. The sacrifices I make for you people.
To refresh the rules: it has to be a) a rye whiskey, b) at one of the liquor stores that I drive by routinely, and c) under $40/bottle. I could easily get another ten candidates up here if I ignored that last rule, but that would cost as much as a case of 9mm. Besides, great rye can be had for cheap, I’ve proven that.
I actually did learn a whole lot doing this exercise, one of the things I learned is that I really like rye. Is it Scotch? No. But it’s definitely a great dram, and one I prefer to Bourbon and barrel aged vodka Irish. I also learned that cheddar pairs best with rye, while goat and bloomy rinds are best with Scotch and Swiss/alpine style go best with bourbon. I also learned that my first taste of rye, back at a football game from a shared flask that lead to this project so many years later, was one of the worst rye whiskeys available. And yet it was still good! (It was Jim Beam yellow label. Never buy it. Literally everything else I tasted was better, including J.D.’s rye and Old Granddad.)
A few honorable mentions here before today’s tasting notes.
Few – Excellent. Delicious, within type, but with enough of a deviation as to be really interesting.
Bulleit – The best smelling one of all of these. I could totally go for a candle that smells like this. It was disqualified because if someone didn’t know whether or not they liked rye, and they tried Bulleit, they still wouldn’t know if they liked rye. Delicious though.
Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye – Disqualified because it’s a bottled cocktail, not a whiskey. But it is delicious.
Like always, I’ll have distilled water for proof-levelling, sharp cheddar, chocolate, and a neutral cracker-thing to see how the flavor changes. One thing that will be different this time is that I keep my house 63 degrees in the winter which is frankly too cold for whiskey, so I’ll need to use my thinnest glasses and cuddle the drinks for a bit.
So to start things off, when I went to the liquor store to replace the finalists that I had drunk and not replaced, I noticed there was a new offering that fit the above criteria. I went ahead and bought it, though you could claim it is jumping the line since it didn’t have to pass through a preliminary round first. Tough. The other thing that made me decide to include this one is that it’s made in Washington, so finally I get a West Coast entry. Hopefully this confirms the idea that good rye can be made anywhere.
Woodinville – Considerably darker in the glass than anything else here, but the color isn’t indicative of gross adulteration like with the Basil Hayden. There is less of an ash scent on the nose than I as expecting, sweet and oddly enough, some terpenes. Definitely a hit of an amyl ester too, but it’s in the background. First sip says this stuff is really good. Since I identified that ester, I was mentally primed for fruit, so that’s what I got — orange peel, char, honey, much less vanillin than I was expecting. It’s got a really nice bite too. Very makes your throat glow. Excellent stuff. I’ll just use a few drops of water since I’ve got less than a finger left and it’s only 90 proof to start with. It doesn’t open up so much as get rounder and a bit sweeter. Very interesting. Highly recommended.
I’m not going to do notes on the other finalists, since I’ve already done that. Instead I’ll just comment on how they fit into my liquor cabinet.
Templeton Rye – Pros: <$30/bottle, subtle, sophisticated, elegant, smooth. Cons: perhaps too smooth, may be made by shitheads. Best for: people scared of drinking neat whiskey, wine drinkers, snobby guests (as long as you transfer it to a decanter first, obviously), family gatherings, large parties where you care about if the guests like the hooch.
Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Rye – Pros: 100 proof, classic rye, exemplar of the class, absolutely wonderful. Cons: on the high end of the price limit, not currently <$40/bottle. Best for: introducing someone to what rye whiskey is supposed to taste like, whiskey drinking guests, celebratory drinks, impressing dates that have taste.
Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-in-Bond – Pros: 100 proof, absolute value leader, cheap enough to make your well rye and/or experiment with, still excellent. Cons: bottom-shelf stigma. Best for: always having on hand, mixing drinks, keeping behind the bar, open bar functions where you don’t hate the guests, generally getting hammered, buying cheap and stacking deep.
Wheel Horse Rye – Pros: 101 proof, lively, assertive, delicious, interesting. Cons: give me a minute, maybe I can think of something. Best for: surprising a good friend who wants “a drink.” Treating yourself, drinking with more strongly flavored foods (in my tasting it held up to alpine cheeses, sliced steak, and chicken parm), drinking by the fire with a good book, drinking without a fire or a good book.
So if I had to pick a “best” one out of the… eighteen(?) I’ve tried in this little project (and I guess I do, the title does specify “ranking” after all). The winner is…
Our Winner. Well MY winner, but until one of you puts together your own meticulously documented version, it’ll count as “our.”
Since I’m a complete Noob, I’m going to try the Knob Creek next time I make a booze run. Because you’ve called it an exemplar of the class.
How is rye different than something like Woodford Reserve bourbon?
The stereotype is that rye is “spicier” than corn whiskies. I personally think it’s a bit cleaner tasting, with less must and fewer sour flavors.
What about Crown Royal?
I like it.
That and Canadian Club were the go to ryes when I tended bar. If someone ordered a rye and ginger, that’s what they got.
Rittenhouse is going to be my well rye.
I don’t even though if that existed then. Anyway, I never worked anywhere – from dive bars to fancy hotels — that literally had a well rye. Most of the brands in the well aren’t sold in liquor stores. The only exceptions were a country club where particular brands of whatever were very popular with the members, or bars that poured lots of Bacardi.
It’s pretty old. It was in a 1940s bar book/advertisement that my pup ate.
A lot of old whiskeys have been brought back because of the Bourbon Renaissance, which has since generated a Rye Renaissance as well.
So the old company that produced went under and Rittenhouse was reintroduced in the ’90s after Heaven Hill bought the rights. But they weren’t real serious on producing much rye until more recently.
They stopped producing it for a couple years after the big fire. You could see it burn from 40 miles away.
I didn’t realize that National Distillers actually went out of business. I figured they had just been acquired by a richer company.
Just because Canadian Whiskey has rye in it, does not make it a rye whiskey.
/Rye snob off
I’m sure you’re talking about the days before the Rye renaissance. I’ve read that Canadians whiskey was the stand-in for decades.
Is it a rye?
I’ve shied away from it in the past few years. Much too sweet and I’m tending to stay away from blends
They make a 90% rye, as well as a bunch of other products.
The “regular” CR is not. As Count says, they make a rye.
I’ve done a rye tasting of my own (should have documented it) and Crown Royal’s and Jim Beam’s were two of my least favorite ryes.
I was sad that Brother Beam was the worst.
I was surprised and let down, as well. And got more happily shocked as I learned some of the cheapest ones were absolutely delicious.
The Beam company makes good stuff, like the Knob Creek listed here.
They also make rotgut, which they tend to call Beam.
Rittenhouse:
Best for: trolling your leftist friends at your next get-together
One of my best discoveries from this. It’s so good and yet so cheap.
Heaven Hill makes a lot of cheap stuff (Evan Williams) that is still good.
Agreed – Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is a good cheap bourbon.
Evan Williams Single Barrel isnt cheap, but it is a huge value at its price point.
Also be sure to have this on your bar as well: https://www.molonlavevineyards.com/
The only kosher Virginia wine!
As below I keep Redemption and Rittenhouse Rye. Makes sense to me
🙂
Hahaha!!! Took me too long to get that.
This makes no sense to me.
/goes back to reading
If someone in Bourbon Co. made a whiskey out of peat smoked grain, with 51% being corn, and then aged it in new charred oak barrels, it might be bourbon but drinking it wouldn’t tell you what “bourbon” tastes like.
Huh. Seems harsh.
I forget, did you try Dickel?
The rye never showed up, and the store wanted me to buy a whole case to order it.
If you ever run across it, check it out. Same class -both great price and great flavor- as Rittenhouse. My local liquor store just had one of there big semi-annual sales. Dickel 1.75l’s were on sale for half price. I grabbed 2.
Dickel rye is the shit…in a good way.
Agreed!
I haven’t had BulleIt rye but this comment makes sense thinking about Bulleit bourbon. Nice bottle, but it sucks.
I think their rye is much better than their bourbon.
Same! I wish the liquor stores would carry minis of the rye instead of bourbon.
They had some longer aged bourbon that I found to be rather good as well, with only a minor increase in price.
Bulleit rye is the first rye I ever had. I didn’t think it was bad. I’ll drink the bourbon, but wouldn’t buy it.
I have no idea what this means, but given that it is the only rye available at either of my two regular liquor stores, it’s all I know.
Too atypical.
Huh. I’ll try to find one of these other ones, then. Thanks!
Don’t be afraid to go bottom shelf. Cheap rye is better than cheap bourbon and VASTLY better than cheap Scotch.
FWIW, I’ll second that.
I usually go for 2nd bottom shelf for my daily tipple so no problem there – Gordon’s vodka, Gordon’s gin (which is surprisingly good, actually), etc.
Gordon’s is a very good one-note gin. Probably the best gin for a tom collins, unless you really like grapefruit (Beefeater).
That’s because everything is better than scotch. Any scotch.
Scotch is bourbon with the flavor removed and then strained thru a used ashtray.
This guy gets it!
I thought I liked you guys.
This post reminds me that I forgot to go to the commie liquor store when I was out buying my Bob Ross supplies this evening.
Wheel Horse is one of the few I’ve not seen around here. I’ll have to seek it out. And I agree wholeheartedly with the the Rittenhouse recommendation. It hits well above it’s $ class.
Thanks a lot for doing this, NA. You’ve inspired me to do my own version to correct your wrongs. ?
…but I probably won’t. So I’m glad someone did it.
I’m absolutely out of my league here.
I’ll just take your recommendation and pretend to know what I’m talking about at my next social gathering.
^ this is exactly why the internet was invented ^
I got some Redemption Rye. Pretty good
I like Buffalo Trace “Straight Rye.” It’s usually comes out right after Passover ends. Not sure why; rye isn’t kosher, but neither are wheat and barley, so why rye gets a special beverage to mark the end of Passover is beyond my ken.
Probably just a marketing gimmick.
Perhaps one of the (((Glibs))) can provide insight.
Passover is when I hunt for (((Coke))) sweetened with beet sugar instead of HFCS.
I can STILL recall the smell of beet sugar processing wafting over the ghetto apartment I had in Moorhead, MN.
The Margo/Forehead/Red River Flood Plain area is known for its production of sugar beets.
/ Also known for it high theft of 10 speed bicycles
The smell of money.
Lake Aga$$iz for the win.
The area was also known for its production of turkey. There were weekly classified ads for “turkey milkers”.
What sort of self-respecting college student would take a job jacking off male turkeys into a test tube?
Answer: desperate college students who had just had their 10 speed bike stolen
TMI.
The term for a bull providing a semen sample is “collecting.”
Well that’s interesting. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Wheel Horse. I’ll have to see if the state fascist liquor stores carry it.
My top two on you list are the Rittenhouse and the Knob Creek. Both very different ryes, but both very serviceable neat, and in a cocktail. Both have a permanent place in my cabinet. Just as an fyi, Rittenhouse comes from the same rick house as Pikesville. I 110 proof rye at twice the price. Different whiskeys, but interesting.
Spud, isn’t Whistle Pig one of your favorites? I keep seeing it but not being able to pull the trigger.
He was a fire fighter not a traffic cop.
Somebody told me WP is really good, but they want a fucking arm and a leg for it here.
I have some ideas for replacement booze when I consume enough to have space again in the liquor cabinet.
I was looking for advice on sandwich bread.
Now I’m confused.
Just drive your Chevy to the levee…
Also you got a rare guffaw out of me, UCS.
*Raises glass of bottom shelf vodka and Fresca*
*Assumes usual dour persona of a hermit*
Not too wry?
Marble Rye
Deliberate I tell ya!
Rusty!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZneT3MbZgsI ?
Don’t be a heel.
Yay! Everyone loaves a good pun thread!
You oat to be run outta town
You’re barley even trying.
Pumpernickel is best for egg salad.
Whodathunk Titty Tuesday?
https://archive.md/EeVPM
We did a bourbon tasting at my house a few months back. Someone who has trouble following rules brought Rittenhouse rye. If we had been judging ryes that night, it would have won. I can drink bourbon or ryes with impunity, at least as far as paying for it the next day in the form of a hangover. My dad can’t. I must have gotten that particular skill from the Irish blood on my mother’s side of the family.
I’ve determined with “brown liquor” I’ve really no preferences.
Some I’ve liked most I’ve no interest in drinking again. OTH, beer, wine, cider and sake I have definite preferences and types.
I like my rye like I like my women…
(Go ahead)
…cheap and spicy.
Dark and bitter?
My usual answer for how I drink coffee, ie black.
Rying down, of course
Not until 来年.
Lacist!
In a big bottle with a convenient handle?
…with big-ass titties.
^^^This guy gets it.
Japanese?
The obvious answer is with dicks.
Full bodied
/Tres
At room temperature???
So you made me remember that I have a fifth of Willett’s Family Estate Straight Rye Whiskey. Bottled at cask strength (111.8 proof hand written on the bottle)
I am going to try it now.
Hmmm. Spicy with a honey after-taste. Nose is a little potent, but that’s due to the high proof. It will curl your nose-hairs.
Very good, but too expensive. At the $52 price point, I like Willet’s pot-still bourbon better.
” Is it Scotch? No. But it’s definitely a great dram, and one I prefer to Bourbon and barrel-aged vodka[sic] Irish.”
Wait? Are you one of those weirdos who think that Scotch, the rancid gasoline of booze, is better than Irish?
What fresh hell is this?! I do not like the cut of your Glib!
Irish whiskey is good for cooking.
Yes, and I think I will pour myself a Redbreast and start marinating myself!
Baijiu would like a word.
???
OMG yes, this
I hated Scotch until I tasted a good single malt.
I tried Scotch in my early 30’s and hated it. Tried it again in my late 40’s and I like it*. I’ve heard similar stories from others.
*I still have some trouble with the smokier/peatier ones.
You’re still a good person.
Scotch is the king of drinks, much like haggis is the king of puddings.
Don’t be this idiot! Wear both socks in winter.
https://kval.com/news/local/gallery/more-chains-less-pain-dont-be-the-driver-stopping-miles-of-traffic-behind-you?photo=1
“Chains required”
D2 tells me that chains, cables, and even studded tires are illegal in Michigan.
For the roads.
In my experience Michigan has the second-crappiest roads I’ve driven over (behind Illinois).
Yeah, but we don’t need chains,
/Michigan North
Well, they don’t want to spend any money on the roads…
or plows from what i have seen, CO have it going on comared to the dump I live in,
/Yes i like Manistee
very good answers for inflation, from way back when,
https://pjmedia.com/eddriscoll/ed-driscoll/2020/04/18/amity-shlaes-great-society-n384203
Thanks Yusef. I need to get her books.
This is was interesting read – and depressing. I want to read that book.
Thanks for that link. I have her Forgotten Man but not the Coolidge one.
I hadn’t heard that quip before, but I approve:
Good news about the omicron covid variant keeps coming out, showing it’s quite contagious but also very mild, like a regular flu or better. This should be a huge relief, and might even push out the more dangerous (to vulnerable people) strains and help end this mess.
But still the media peppers covid articles with words like “alarming” and “dramatic uptick” etc. to maximize the fear factor. And the power mongering politicians reinstate mask “mandates” and closures, cancellation of Christmas events. It’s almost like they want to destroy the (western) world order and replace it with a centrally planned economy and social order…
It seems like many politicians and public health officials won’t accept good news. I have to give a hat tip to Polis in CO for basically saying it’s time to live with covid.
They can’t accept good news because it will destroy any plans they are moving forward with. If omicron becomes dominant and is mild, then the last 60+ million that aren’t vaccinated and others that are saying no to boosters will push back harder.
They are determined to cancel Christmas.
Proof: https://dailycaller.com/2021/12/14/police-arrest-santa-claus-germany-covid-restrictions-pandemic/
?
Bootlickers. Never change, AP.
They’re just liars.
It’s hard to keep up with all the lies, which I assume is part of the strategy.
Dave Smith’s latest podcast with Scott Horton is a great example. They review all of our shenanigans in the Ukraine and I had forgotten just how bad it was simply because there’s so much to keep track of. Our leaders are tempting fate by prodding Russia only a couple hundred miles from Moscow over a region that is predominantly Russian and has been under Russian influence since the 18th century. It’s absolutely bonkers and it’s all because we think that we can neuter Russia by taking their only warm water port away. As if they would allow that. It’s amazing Putin has been as restrained as he has.
NPR said that we shouldn’t rely on omicron being less lethal because the data comes from South Africa where (they claim) 80% of the population has already had covid.
So they’re saying natural immunity works better than these so-called vaxxes?
At this point, the crazy homeless guy who lives under the overpass and mutters to himself all day makes more sense than they do.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/12/biden-says-quiet-part-loud-struggle-no-longer-gets-vote-gets-count-vote-video/
Dude…
“Biden Says the Quiet Part Out Loud: “The Struggle is No Longer About Who Gets to Vote… It’s About Who Gets to Count the Vote” (VIDEO)”
WTF
Well, he did previously admit they had the greated vote fraud machine. I’m pretty sure dementia ate his filter.
Putin spoke recently and he drew the comparison between the late Soviet Union and the current USA. As he put it, our arrogance will be our undoing.
https://www.nj.com/food/2021/12/ham-and-pepperoni-recall-expands-throw-away-or-return-these-meats.html
Your ham is trying to kill you.
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/12/14/brazen-masked-robbers-targeting-abington-township-homes-stealing-whatever-they-can-find/
Smash and grab isn’t just for retail anymore. ?
They’re just not doing enough to protect themselves.
https://ktla.com/news/man-taking-firearm-selfies-at-fresnos-fashion-fair-mall-detained-police-say/
Wut?
“The firearm did not immediately reply to our request for further information on what it was doing there.”
https://www.fox13now.com/news/national/nasa-craft-touches-sun-for-1st-time-dives-into-atmosphere
First time? How many times is it supposed to touch it?
Morning, Glibs.
I don’t know how, but I almost completely slept through the night.
Good morning, U! And Sean and…I guess that’s it at the moment.
Sleeping through the night is good. Hope you feel at least somewhat refreshed.
Well, I was tired when my alarm went off, but I’m not tired now.
Breakfast is in the oven, and I’ve already caught up on emails of any significance.
What’s for breakfast?
I’m impressed that you cook first thing in the morning. If the coffeemaker didn’t operate on a timer, I’d probably be in a bad way.
It’s chicken cordon bleu, but the butcher shop did all the prep work, I just stuck the thermometer probe in, set the alarm and put it in the oven. When it reaches safe chicken temperature, I’ll hear the thermometer beeping and take it out.
It’s not really cooking, it’s little above microwaving breakfast.
I have no idea how anyone can do anything so labor intensive as bacon and eggs for breakfast.
That’s more of a lunch deal.
That’s why God made brunch. And Bob Evans.
*blinks*
Well, there are a lot of countries that have toast for breakfast, I guess.
Who owns a toaster?
What do you do with you bagels once they’re more than 45 minutes old?
Usually digesting them at that point.
If you buy a half pound of food from the buffet at work, the coffee is free. Today’s justification is corned beef has hot mess.
You have a buffet at work???
***SIGH*** Sitting close to the breakroom with cookies and candy for sale – and now, holiday food gifts from vendors – is bad enough for my diet.
The food here can be excellent, depending on the cuisine and the cook. The Chinese food is terrible. The Indian has gotten vastly better since the subcontinental employees raised hell and brought in a guy to teach the kitchen staff.
Oh shit, that’s HOT!
-Science
::looks at ‘bodru’s avatar:: Well, it certainly LOOKS as if it would be hot…
Oh, that’s just a glowshroom, they’re actually very cool.
/damn lies
was meant for seans link to satellite entering suns chromosphere.
Anyway good morning all.
Operation get sheep ready for impregnation last night was a success. Sheep were not happy. Was a lot of sheep wrestling
(if you care for an explanation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVB3FE00n64)
I guessed as much, but the set up was too good.
Scotsman, are Ye?
I was just keeping them down, wife was doing all the intimate work.
(kinky i know)
🙂
I was just keeping them down, wife was doing all the intimate work.
(kinky i know)
🙂
and i guess the squirrels like to watch?
…fuzzy…
Mornin’ All! Actually had a pretty decent shift, tough but amenable. Got home to find a new email from corporate. They needed to confirm my home address so that the covid tests would get to me. The kicker is that I’m on the hook for the cost. Of course I have no clue how much these things are going to put me out of pocket. I’ll probably only need three or four of them after my magical status is affirmed this Saturday when I get the second clot-shot. Petty fucking cocksuckers. I’ve complied (not happily) and still they need to give me one more birthday bump “for luck”! I guess they don’t consider the fact that I’ve been saving this contract from destruction for nine years. I pissed off HR and now I must literally pay. Thank God that the wheels grind slowly or I might have been testing and paying for a month prior. Merry Xmas, you cuntes!
🙁
Day #24 down, 9 to go. I feel all warm and what’s the word? Starts with F and U… Furious? Yeah. I’ll go with that one.
Truth be told, I’m too damn tired to fight back on this anymore. Corporate is making me cry “uncle” before they take the boot off of my neck. If I could grow a forelock they would be forcing me to tug it.
Good Morning, World of Glibs! Slept fairly well, had a cuppa joe, almost time for breakfast (bring on the oatmeal and a dollop of honey). Sure glad Al Gore invented microwaves, makes an old guy’s life a lot easier.
Heavy rain scheduled for this evening, changing over to snow later. Rare his time of year but we haven’t had climate change for a long time. Could be a challenge in the morning but I don’t have to do anything. Most of the power lines are underground and that will help.
Some dude at Raytheon working with radar invested the microwave.
This guy gets it! Thanks and Good Morning, UCS
Yup. Apocryphal story is that his cheese sandwich melted.
I love it when you talk technical. Wish you didn’t have to fight the PTB at work, Son, ain’t no way to go through life.
The Black pills – https://youtu.be/YE5mlNCRe9A
Mao H. Stalin this little fucker wont stop.
Went to bed feeling fine and once again wake up with a 102º temp
This is getting really annoying
Hang in there, Tres. Plenty of vast tracts of land left to plow!
But my horse ran off!
My only hope is that the pendulum swings back and there be a reckoning. A settling of accounts, as it were. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Who saw this coming even three years ago? Ten? Fifty? We are well and truly fucked in the arse and most people say “More”!
Huh. I thought programming was still in binary. But I got got a notice about an Apache vulnerability and log(4).
log4j was so last week. Don’t you keep on top of zero day exploits?
Wypipo exploiting the Apache. Same as it ever was.
Fun fact, the Apache didn’t arrive in the southwest until after Europeans had settled on the east coast. They invaded in the mid-1600s.
Shush you! It was an agrarian paradise until Whitey came knocking at the door.