The source of this rye makes for an interesting story, but in the case of Barrel Rye Batch Three, it’s a footnote rather than a defining characteristic. One might hear that this batch is a blend of ryes from Tennessee, Indiana, Poland, and Canada and think it’ll taste otherworldly or weird or funky. It does none of those things. It tastes like a terrific American cask strength rye, with a floral (almost Lot 40 rye-like) nose to it. It’s a beautiful blend.
That this product contains ryes from ages four to fourteen isn’t a surprise either. Ryes do really well with low age statements, and this blend of young and old has been proven successful in its many iterations across the US market. Barrell is about taking the best kind of barrels of whisky that come together in harmony, and this is another great example.
Barrell Rye Batch 003 116.9
Category: NDP blend from Tennessee, Indiana, Poland, and Canada ryes
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Nose: Minty creamy ice cream nose. Mint can be a common nosing note in ryes, but this is particularly fresh and creamy. It has that nicely intense perfume floral note consistent with a good rye. Lingering dark chocolate, a vague herbal note are a nice complex layer to this otherwise quiet nose.
Palate: Floral, minty, cinnamon, and back tea herbal. Really fun on the palate. It’s dry, intense, and paprika-level spicy. The creaminess really settles in nicely toward the finish, but the paprika spice burn never departs. It has all the elements of a great rye. It is a little thin on the palate (compared to others high-proof oaky monsters), and sometimes that’s a bad thing, but here it just leaves room for the awesome flavours coming through.
Conclusion: The herbal minty note is such a pleasure, when combined with a floral rye. It’s gentle on complex flavour, and heavy on spice, with a creamy clean wait on the palate. Nicely done!
Disclaimer: I received a sample of this whisky. It had no influence on my review.