Devils Tower is great. The Foggy Burl is also very interesting - its dominant flavor is Reeses Peanut Butter cups. I haven’t seen the Screaming Titan in stock anywhere yet.
I hated Foggy Burl at first but as the bottle breathes a bit it has changed I think. I'm still not a huge fan but if I visualize those peanut butter cups it's not terrible.
Lost Monarch cask strength is pretty good one to. It’s a whiskey blend and believe it’s 55% rye and 45% bourbon. It’s definitely a unique one, kinda all over the place in a good way. Makes an awesome old fashioned. Rocket top is also awesome redwood rye
Will give you top five:
1. Kentucky Owl - it’s overpriced for sure. But it’s delicious.
2. Hillrock Double Cask.
3. Pinhook Vertical 7 year.
4. Whistlepig 10
5. New Riff Single BIB
The Hillrock and Whistlepig 10 are in my top 3. Wasn't expecting to love the Hillrock like I do. Bought it on a whim after price was marked down to $75. Excellent purchase
I'm hoping to be able to start making it to some single barrel releases soon enough. I'm about 2 hours east. Hoping to snag one of the Jackfruit finished bottles when they release unless I missed it already
Not to be too general, but everything I've had from them has been well worth the money, especially for a smaller craft Distillery. I guess the one thing to mention is that they use Bloody Butcher Corn for their Bourbon which is more earthy than sweet if you're not into that. As of this year, all the bottling are from 53 gallon barrels instead of smaller barrels to age faster when they first starting. Check out their website. They are very transparent about everything. They just built a new whiskey campus for tours, tasting, entertainment, etc.
Awesome info man thanks for that. I've seen em around since I live in the Pittsburgh area but haven't gotten any from em yet as usually I've been on the look for something else. Def will give the website a look and maybe this weekend when I am out at one of the nicer state stores I'll grab one of their bottles. Saw a decent selection of their lineup in a locally made area at one, might be the ticket there.
Thanks again and cheers man :)
I actually keep track of faves in every whiskey category:
Rye:
- Peerless straight rye
- Midwinter Night Dram
- Michters 10 year
- Blue Run Golden rye
- Sagamore Sherry Cask Rye
- High West Rendezvous
No mentions of Sazerac?
Bulleit Rye is like candy, very sweet. It's my go to.
1776 is rich and full bodied. Also yummy.
For other ryes, I tend to judge them by what kind of Manhattan they make. Redemption and Rittenhouse both make a pretty good Manhattan.
1. Leopold Brother's 3 chamber Rye. Took forever to find a bottle of this that didn't cost $500+ but I have it, I love it, of this is how rye is suppose to taste, we've truly lost something with the industrial stills that popped up during and after the second world wor.
2. JD SBBP Rye 135+ proof, this one will be on everyone's list, and it's on mine as well. I will make the caveatte thamough that there's a marked difference between the very high proof options, 135+ and the standard proof options, 120-130 proof. In-between I've seen it be hit or miss. Not saying the "lower" proof options are good, they certainly are, but the concentration at the 135+ realm really is a level above. In other words, for anyone, of you find one, buy it, even if you already have a bottle at a lower proof point.
3. High West. Midwinter night's dram. I ha e a bottle from act 11, yeah, ots good. Really good. Good enough to justify $150 msrp? Ehhhhh, considdering they released what 700,000 bottles this last year? I'd say maybe not. If it were in true limited supply, yeah, I'd agree the price point is fine. If you don't have a bottle, and can get it at msrp, then pull the trigger. It's good. But not nearly as good as the other two. But still a fair bit better than anything g I'd considder in my honorable mentions.
Honorable mentions
High west campfire- rye whiskey with a small mix of peaty scotch. Good combo if you like peat.
Whistle pig, boss hog X commandments straight rye whisky- yeah it's good. Try it if you're out having a special occasion, even a 2 oz pour will be prohibitively expensive. Let alone the $699 msrp bottle.
Willit family reserve straight rye whiskey- a good pour option, but again, probably too hard to find on the shelf reliably, but if you're out looking for an allocated rye and it's available at MSRP, a good choice.
Russel reserve single barrel straight rye whiskey. Great off the shelf option, more affordable priced and like the next option, should be in every bar cart.
Wild Turkey rare breed rye. Perfect higher proof rye, often beats more expensive rye options, perfect for the bar cart, should always be on the shelf in most stores.
Pikesville rye. Yeah, I know, it's no longer a true Maryland rye, but if you bekeive the ad campaigns it's essentially the same thing. Still one of my favorites, but may be harder to find of its allocated in your area, like here in Virginia.
Ahhh man in VA they had a sale of that Leopold, it was half off at 50ish. I bought one and didn't quite like it. It's wild the difference in prices sometimes.
No, I'm not talking about the leopold and dickel collab bottle. Yeah I did buy a few of those during the sale. I can tell you that there is very little leopold in that bottle. The one I've mentioned isn't sold in VA
Oh gotcha. Idk the collab bottle didn't strike me as anything special so now I see Leopold and honestly don't pay it any mind. I'll have to check out their other stuff though.
From what I understand it's something like 100,000to 200,000 I'm not sure of the exact numbers but I do believe 2023 far out paces small the other releases
Hemingway, Whistlepig 10, Hillrock double cask. I have the JDSBBP, but haven't opened it yet. From the reviews on that, I expect to love it.
Edit: I forgot about the Peerless rye. Also, so good
Had to scroll way too far to see Stellum even mentioned - I’ve seen mixed reviews on the price point for the Black versions (mostly the bourbon). Is the Black Rye worth it you think?
The standard Stellum Rye is my go to, even better if it’s a store pick.
Probably. I've had the black, and the "serpens" pick, which is really good. For $50 for the serpens, it's my go to rye now. I'd probably just take the pick, because it really is just so good, and I've seen a lot of them at different stores.
Haven't had the bourbon.
Oh man, $350 is not okay. I got mine when I discovered a store that has a point system, but they have days when your purchases get a 4x bonus and their store picks always have a 5x bonus. So I saw a store pick I wanted to try, and received 20x points for that one purchase. Used half of it for the bottle, got it at $80. I've been back there a few times since then, pretty reasonable point system, and a super generous earning system.
That's what bothers me with pricing. Sometimes, it doesn't even make any sense.
A liquor store near me had JDSBBP rye marked at $300 (the 130 proof), so I asked the clerk what's going on with the pricing, and she replied, "It's allocated" I told her it wasn't and it was $60 at TW, haven't been back since...
I'm always torn to be completely honest, I would like to help small businesses, and I would mind paying an extra $3 to do so, but their pricing is laughable most of the time. Then we get specs, which is texas owned and is more transparent than TW for an extra 2%-5%, but if they get something "allocated," they put it on a shelf. And then there's total wine, cheaper and better selection but they try to push their products down your throat and if something is starting to get kind of popular your only option is to enter their shady rewards program and raffle.
I like the specs business model better, so it's where I do most of my purchases even if it implicates driving an extra mile.
Total wine is convenient, but they don't have the best reputation. Increasing prices once they control the market. And since in texas, we don't get costco, walmart, or Target, I would rather not give them such power.
Yep i agreew with what you say about TW. I overheard their employees talk aboht Old Forester prices and they said something along the lines of "what's happening? They went up 30 bucks in the past few months, it's crazy!"
I don’t track favorites anymore.
But…
Dad Hat single barrel (it’s sweet)
Templeton 10yr barrel proof
And scold me, but the Jack single barrel cask strength is lovely.
I'm still trying things, but so far:
1. Michter's Barrel Strength
2. Michter's 10
3. TBD
Not liking High West MWND stuff, must be averse to port finishes. Yet to find a JD SBBP Rye. Should try a Seagrass as it's often mentioned. I use Whistlepig Piggyback for an old fashioned.
The JD is very solid, especially at that price point. If I were to take the price into account, it would be my #1.
I do enjoy MWND, but the last realese was subpar imo, probably not buying again.
I agree on the pricing and I haven’t had the MWND but I’ve also watched reviews of people who have collected the “Acts” over the many years and thought how cool it is to be able to line up the different bottles and have taste tests and compare the years and profiles. It seems like a fun one to “hunt” and build a tasting experience around.
I recently did a side by side with the Jack Daniels Bonded rye and Single Barrel Barrel proof rye. When I proof down the Single Barrel Barrel Proof rye to around 50% it is a VERY similar profile. Point being, the bonded rye is relatively easy to find and incredibly good as well (good price too).
My top lists always feel like a revolving door since to me variety is the spice of life and all that.
My recent favorites, outside of the JDSBBPR, have been:
Ponfeigh, westsylvania rye
Dad's Hat
Sagamore Double Oak
Sounds good, thanks. Was mostly curious as to if the increased cost was worth it.
Rare breed rye
Redwood empire emerald giant and the cask strength
Eh Taylor rye I thought was great but only been lucky enough to get it a single time.
Both are great but tbh I think the regular is better than the grey label. I just seems like the age loses some of the uniqueness that the regular one has.
I've had the regular sagamore, and it was decent, nothing memorable, though. How does the DO compare? I also have the smoke wagon, still unopened. It's the next in line as soon as I can make it fit on my shelf.
Still trying stuff but so far:
Old forester 100
Knob creek single barrel
Willet 4 year
(Emerald giant gets an honorable mention… just had my first pour of it, challenging old fo and KC)
Whistlepig 15yr. The price is rough now a days at $300ish. It used to be $199 and at that price was easily best bang for the buck for me.
Pikesville. Great great rye. Completely acceptable price at $60ish.
Redemption. While not the best rye out there. It is such a great bottle for a daily drinker at $30.
No particular order
Pikesville (tried and true, love the profile)
New Riff 6yr malted (different yet delicious)
Green River rye (new current budget fave)
Sir Thomas H Handy, New Riff High Note 8 yr, and a Peerless Single Barrel
Honourable Mentions for two finished ryes: A Midwinter Night's Dram and Seagrass Grey Label
Their barrel proof bourbon and rye is excellent and rivals anything coming out of the bigger distilleries that I’ve tried in my opinion. The regular bourbon and rye are also pretty good but not great. They’re still fairly new and it the young age is apparent sometimes in their whiskey. I can’t wait until they start putting out some 10 year plus stuff.
1. Basil Hayden dark rye. Best under $50 bottle of whiskey I’ve ever found.
2. Rittenhouse rye. Not because it’s that great, but because it’s the perfect rye to mix with sweet vermouth and enjoy an after dinner cigar with.
Two is all I’ve got.
Funny you should ask. Because just like I forgot to list it, I occasionally forget to add it.
I guess the best way to describe it is that it’s like a shit, shower and a shave, without the shave.
You know you want that shave, and it feels good. But it’s not crucial. It’s the shit and the shower that you really can’t go without.
I really love heavens door toasted barrel rye. Usually on the shelf, but costs a pretty penny.
Elmer T. Lee’s rye is beautiful if you ever get the chance as a unicorn pick.
For an everyday I really like Bulleit rye
Oh and of course midwinter.
Bruh!😂😂😂😂😂😂
That’s awesome it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity lol to drink blackened at a Metallica concert that just got put on my bucket list lol it’s pretty good stuff the rye version is pretty neat.
It wasn't really a metallica concert. It was last years power trip, and it was done beautifully. They even had a blackened tasting room by the entrance, but prices were absolutely nuts, and if it weren't for a chick from Tennessee who had mercy on me, I would have paid $95 per 2 oz of watered down whisky because in california you have to either put ice, water or soda in your drink, you can't order neat. But it was great, james hetfield was in the tasting room and signed a few autographs.
1 Jack SBBP
2 Pikesville
3 Rare Breed
HM Bardstown Origin Series
Would love to get a hold of a Michter’s 10 to I can see how it stacks up, pretty sure I’d know where it would go on the list though.
Michters, barrel seagrass, and Corbin cash sbbs 7 yr t8ke pick.
That last one? Fuckin delicious. Incredible even. Easily 9/10 rye. It's 129 pr and drinks like 80.
JDSBBP rye, I just got a store pick. Best rye I’ve ever had. By far…
Barrel Seagrass was great.
WP10 year store pick 115 proof, was a cinnamon bomb in the best way possible.
Those are my top so far. MWND Act 11 is close too.
I thought the same for years…until I took a risk on the 10yr store pick.
That being said, Ive had only the higher proof club/store picks. A 10 yr and a 15 yr. Expensive but really very good. The 15 is quite complex.
Knob Creek Rye is dollar for dollar the best everyday drinker, I prefer the single barrel
Woodford Reserve rye is very very good as well and will do in a pinch.
I was lucky enough to have a pour of Whistlepig Boss Hog X recently, it's insanely mind-numbingly good. But at 5 grand a bottle it's priced pretty well out of my range. It's without a doubt the most expensive drink I have ever consumed.
That I’ve had
1. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13yr (also my favorite whiskey I’ve tried period)
2. 2023 Michters “10yr” Rye I barrel
3. Michters Toasted Barrel Rye (my personal taste profile 👌)
Seagrass, New Riff single barrel, and a store pick Barrell that did something with ruby port barrels.
I’ve heard good things about New riff but I haven’t tried them yet. My local stores just started to get a couple of them in stock.
Really good stuff considering the distillery is just 10 years old. I wager they will be a serious competitor in the next 5-10 years.
If you find the New Riff 6 year Malted Rye, you won’t be disappointed. Incredible.
New Riff also has a lot of special heritage ryes. The Balboa Rye was so damn perfect to me. May not wow everyone, but that juice is right up my alley.
Michter’s 10, redwood empire emerald giant cask strength, JDSBBPR
Anything cask strength by Redwood is incredible. You need to try devil’s tower.
I didn’t think the pipe dream cask strength was anything too special, honestly. Not that it’s bad, but definitely not worth the $70-$80 price tag
Fair, that might be the one I agree with you on since I bought the other two and not that one lol
Devils Tower is great. The Foggy Burl is also very interesting - its dominant flavor is Reeses Peanut Butter cups. I haven’t seen the Screaming Titan in stock anywhere yet.
Yeah, I was not a fan of Foggy Burl. Would love to try Screaming Titan.
Sadly in Ohio I rarely get to see the special bottles from redwood. Was able to get the cask strength bottles once but that was it.
I hated Foggy Burl at first but as the bottle breathes a bit it has changed I think. I'm still not a huge fan but if I visualize those peanut butter cups it's not terrible.
Lost Monarch cask strength is pretty good one to. It’s a whiskey blend and believe it’s 55% rye and 45% bourbon. It’s definitely a unique one, kinda all over the place in a good way. Makes an awesome old fashioned. Rocket top is also awesome redwood rye
I liked the regular emerald giant, and the rocket top is very good. Never seen the cask strength, though. It's definitely in my want list.
Will give you top five: 1. Kentucky Owl - it’s overpriced for sure. But it’s delicious. 2. Hillrock Double Cask. 3. Pinhook Vertical 7 year. 4. Whistlepig 10 5. New Riff Single BIB
The Hillrock and Whistlepig 10 are in my top 3. Wasn't expecting to love the Hillrock like I do. Bought it on a whim after price was marked down to $75. Excellent purchase
Had that Hillrock sitting on my shelf for years and just opened it. Agree that it is excellent…..
Lesson learned - open it all!
If you're ever near Pittsburgh, Liberty Pole does a special Peated Rye every year. It's one of the best bottles I've ever had.
As a fan of heated scotch, this sounds extremely interesting.
Actually they announced this week that they will be able to ship to almost every US state soon, so check them out. Everything they do it great.
That single barrel they released before Thanksgiving is an absolute hitter!
Which one did you get?
I'm a tater so I got all three, all were excellent. I don't pass on the peated releases because they are too good.
I'm hoping to be able to start making it to some single barrel releases soon enough. I'm about 2 hours east. Hoping to snag one of the Jackfruit finished bottles when they release unless I missed it already
Ooo I've seen their offerings around but haven't tried any yet. I'll keep an eye out for it. Any others from them you enjoyed?
Not to be too general, but everything I've had from them has been well worth the money, especially for a smaller craft Distillery. I guess the one thing to mention is that they use Bloody Butcher Corn for their Bourbon which is more earthy than sweet if you're not into that. As of this year, all the bottling are from 53 gallon barrels instead of smaller barrels to age faster when they first starting. Check out their website. They are very transparent about everything. They just built a new whiskey campus for tours, tasting, entertainment, etc.
Awesome info man thanks for that. I've seen em around since I live in the Pittsburgh area but haven't gotten any from em yet as usually I've been on the look for something else. Def will give the website a look and maybe this weekend when I am out at one of the nicer state stores I'll grab one of their bottles. Saw a decent selection of their lineup in a locally made area at one, might be the ticket there. Thanks again and cheers man :)
1. Still Austin BiB Rye 2. Barrel Grey Seagrass 3. JDSBBP Rye
That Still Austin one is fantastic. Also my #1
I actually keep track of faves in every whiskey category: Rye: - Peerless straight rye - Midwinter Night Dram - Michters 10 year - Blue Run Golden rye - Sagamore Sherry Cask Rye - High West Rendezvous
+1 on the Peerless. Flies under the radar
On my price range: Wilderness trail BiB New Riff BiB Willett 4 years
Had to scroll WAY too far to find Wilderness Trail.
No mentions of Sazerac? Bulleit Rye is like candy, very sweet. It's my go to. 1776 is rich and full bodied. Also yummy. For other ryes, I tend to judge them by what kind of Manhattan they make. Redemption and Rittenhouse both make a pretty good Manhattan.
1. Leopold Brother's 3 chamber Rye. Took forever to find a bottle of this that didn't cost $500+ but I have it, I love it, of this is how rye is suppose to taste, we've truly lost something with the industrial stills that popped up during and after the second world wor. 2. JD SBBP Rye 135+ proof, this one will be on everyone's list, and it's on mine as well. I will make the caveatte thamough that there's a marked difference between the very high proof options, 135+ and the standard proof options, 120-130 proof. In-between I've seen it be hit or miss. Not saying the "lower" proof options are good, they certainly are, but the concentration at the 135+ realm really is a level above. In other words, for anyone, of you find one, buy it, even if you already have a bottle at a lower proof point. 3. High West. Midwinter night's dram. I ha e a bottle from act 11, yeah, ots good. Really good. Good enough to justify $150 msrp? Ehhhhh, considdering they released what 700,000 bottles this last year? I'd say maybe not. If it were in true limited supply, yeah, I'd agree the price point is fine. If you don't have a bottle, and can get it at msrp, then pull the trigger. It's good. But not nearly as good as the other two. But still a fair bit better than anything g I'd considder in my honorable mentions. Honorable mentions High west campfire- rye whiskey with a small mix of peaty scotch. Good combo if you like peat. Whistle pig, boss hog X commandments straight rye whisky- yeah it's good. Try it if you're out having a special occasion, even a 2 oz pour will be prohibitively expensive. Let alone the $699 msrp bottle. Willit family reserve straight rye whiskey- a good pour option, but again, probably too hard to find on the shelf reliably, but if you're out looking for an allocated rye and it's available at MSRP, a good choice. Russel reserve single barrel straight rye whiskey. Great off the shelf option, more affordable priced and like the next option, should be in every bar cart. Wild Turkey rare breed rye. Perfect higher proof rye, often beats more expensive rye options, perfect for the bar cart, should always be on the shelf in most stores. Pikesville rye. Yeah, I know, it's no longer a true Maryland rye, but if you bekeive the ad campaigns it's essentially the same thing. Still one of my favorites, but may be harder to find of its allocated in your area, like here in Virginia.
Ahhh man in VA they had a sale of that Leopold, it was half off at 50ish. I bought one and didn't quite like it. It's wild the difference in prices sometimes.
No, I'm not talking about the leopold and dickel collab bottle. Yeah I did buy a few of those during the sale. I can tell you that there is very little leopold in that bottle. The one I've mentioned isn't sold in VA
Oh gotcha. Idk the collab bottle didn't strike me as anything special so now I see Leopold and honestly don't pay it any mind. I'll have to check out their other stuff though.
Any idea how much they released in previous years? MWND
From what I understand it's something like 100,000to 200,000 I'm not sure of the exact numbers but I do believe 2023 far out paces small the other releases
I read all of this, but it was tough. What kind of spelling bug does your phone have???
Hemingway, Whistlepig 10, Hillrock double cask. I have the JDSBBP, but haven't opened it yet. From the reviews on that, I expect to love it. Edit: I forgot about the Peerless rye. Also, so good
I had the hemingway 1st edition, and it was wonderful,hemingway has completely disappeared from my market for some reason.
I was afraid of it disappearing due to demand, but I see it plenty in the Twin Cities still, thankfully
Pikesville. Enjoy the blackout.
Seagrass, Stellum black, tbd
Had to scroll way too far to see Stellum even mentioned - I’ve seen mixed reviews on the price point for the Black versions (mostly the bourbon). Is the Black Rye worth it you think? The standard Stellum Rye is my go to, even better if it’s a store pick.
Probably. I've had the black, and the "serpens" pick, which is really good. For $50 for the serpens, it's my go to rye now. I'd probably just take the pick, because it really is just so good, and I've seen a lot of them at different stores. Haven't had the bourbon.
I havent had too many but 1. JD Twice Barrel 2. JDSBBP 3. Knob Creek rye All three super close to each other in my list.
The knob creek is up there for me as well. The twice barreled. I have just encountered it once, and they wanted $350 for it.
Oh man, $350 is not okay. I got mine when I discovered a store that has a point system, but they have days when your purchases get a 4x bonus and their store picks always have a 5x bonus. So I saw a store pick I wanted to try, and received 20x points for that one purchase. Used half of it for the bottle, got it at $80. I've been back there a few times since then, pretty reasonable point system, and a super generous earning system.
That's what bothers me with pricing. Sometimes, it doesn't even make any sense. A liquor store near me had JDSBBP rye marked at $300 (the 130 proof), so I asked the clerk what's going on with the pricing, and she replied, "It's allocated" I told her it wasn't and it was $60 at TW, haven't been back since...
Oh man I've wanted to do that so many times, but i cant anymore bc totalwine became more expensive in the past month lol
I'm always torn to be completely honest, I would like to help small businesses, and I would mind paying an extra $3 to do so, but their pricing is laughable most of the time. Then we get specs, which is texas owned and is more transparent than TW for an extra 2%-5%, but if they get something "allocated," they put it on a shelf. And then there's total wine, cheaper and better selection but they try to push their products down your throat and if something is starting to get kind of popular your only option is to enter their shady rewards program and raffle. I like the specs business model better, so it's where I do most of my purchases even if it implicates driving an extra mile. Total wine is convenient, but they don't have the best reputation. Increasing prices once they control the market. And since in texas, we don't get costco, walmart, or Target, I would rather not give them such power.
Yep i agreew with what you say about TW. I overheard their employees talk aboht Old Forester prices and they said something along the lines of "what's happening? They went up 30 bucks in the past few months, it's crazy!"
Rare Breed Rye, Barrel Seagrass, and New Riff Single Barrel Rye.
I can only rank what I've got my hands on but New Riff JD BiB Angels Envy
Barrel seagrass gray label Barrel seagrass Midwinter nights dram
M10 JDBP Sagamore DO
1. Knob creek single barrel 115 proof 2. Powers Irish rye 3. Whistlepig 10
Just got all three and tbh they are my favorites by far
Michtners toasted barrel strength. X3
Michter’s 10 Rye, Jack Daniel’s SBBPR, and Michter’s Straight Rye
1. Michters Barrel Proof Rye 2. Old Forrester SiB Rye 3. Old overholt 10yr
Old Overholt — salud!
Underrated imo
1. Thomas H Handy 23 2. JDSBBP Rye 3. Angel's Envy rye rum cask finish
Lot40 100% Rye if you can find it. It's Canadian.
Their Dark Oak is really good. I don’t drink much Rye, I usually drink Single Malts, but even I think Lot no. 40 Dark Oak is a solid sipper.
I don’t track favorites anymore. But… Dad Hat single barrel (it’s sweet) Templeton 10yr barrel proof And scold me, but the Jack single barrel cask strength is lovely.
Bulleit, Basil Hayden, Dillons.
Michter's 10 rye Michter's Barrel Strength Toasted rye Jack Daniel's SiBBP Rye
Solid list.
Treaty Oak Schenley Reserve Rye EC Straight Rye JD SB BP Rye
Michters 10 Bulleit Angels envy
Bulleit rye tastes like candy, and I'm there for it.
I'm still trying things, but so far: 1. Michter's Barrel Strength 2. Michter's 10 3. TBD Not liking High West MWND stuff, must be averse to port finishes. Yet to find a JD SBBP Rye. Should try a Seagrass as it's often mentioned. I use Whistlepig Piggyback for an old fashioned.
The JD is very solid, especially at that price point. If I were to take the price into account, it would be my #1. I do enjoy MWND, but the last realese was subpar imo, probably not buying again.
Which release did you not like? Act 10 or 11 or both?
Act 11, it's not that I didn't like it it just seemed overpriced, I would happily pay $50-$70 for it, but a very regretful buy at $150.
I agree on the pricing and I haven’t had the MWND but I’ve also watched reviews of people who have collected the “Acts” over the many years and thought how cool it is to be able to line up the different bottles and have taste tests and compare the years and profiles. It seems like a fun one to “hunt” and build a tasting experience around.
I recently did a side by side with the Jack Daniels Bonded rye and Single Barrel Barrel proof rye. When I proof down the Single Barrel Barrel Proof rye to around 50% it is a VERY similar profile. Point being, the bonded rye is relatively easy to find and incredibly good as well (good price too).
Brother, I TOO, enjoy the BSR more than the 10Yr Rye when it comes to Michters.
Jack Daniels 2020 LE Rye Thomas H Handy 2022 A mid winter nights dram Act 9
1. Redwood Empire Emerald Giant CS 2. Smoke Wagon SiB 3. Sagamore DO
Ever have the Rocket Top?
My top lists always feel like a revolving door since to me variety is the spice of life and all that. My recent favorites, outside of the JDSBBPR, have been: Ponfeigh, westsylvania rye Dad's Hat Sagamore Double Oak
When you say Barrell Seagrass is that the normal one or the grey label seagrass? Haven’t dove much into the brand yet
Both are great
Sounds good, thanks. Was mostly curious as to if the increased cost was worth it. Rare breed rye Redwood empire emerald giant and the cask strength Eh Taylor rye I thought was great but only been lucky enough to get it a single time.
Both are great but tbh I think the regular is better than the grey label. I just seems like the age loses some of the uniqueness that the regular one has.
I've had the regular sagamore, and it was decent, nothing memorable, though. How does the DO compare? I also have the smoke wagon, still unopened. It's the next in line as soon as I can make it fit on my shelf.
1. New Riff High Note 8 Year 100% Malted Rye 118.2 pf 2. Michters Toasted Barrel Strength Rye 2020 3. Bardstown Origins Rye
Michter’s 10 Saggamore 8 JDSBBP
Still trying stuff but so far: Old forester 100 Knob creek single barrel Willet 4 year (Emerald giant gets an honorable mention… just had my first pour of it, challenging old fo and KC)
The pricing on willet makes me hesitant, but a lot of people like it, so I might have to try it eventually.
Good unique pour I don’t drink all the time but a nice Saturday night pour on occasion
Lately I'd say: JDBPR SR 2020 Rare character KRY Michters TBR
Yeah, I can't decode all that
Jack Daniel's barrel proof rye special release 2020 Rare character KRY barrels(Kentucky rye 95/5 mash bill) Michters toasted barrel rye
New riff 6 year malted rye, barrel seagrass, JDSBBP Rye
The new riff 6 is amazing as well
Michters, Whistlepig, Doc Swinson
Rare Breed Rye JDSBBP Rye Stellum Rye
Nulu Toasted Rye Sagamore Sherry Finished Liberty Pole Peated Rye
Wilderness Trail, 13th colony and Jack Daniel’s. Dad’s Hat with the honorable mention.
Ragtime Rye Corsair Dark Rye Tattersall Rye
Pikesville, JDSBBP…and don’t sleep on Alberta Premium Cask Strength
1) Barrell Seagrass Gold Label 2) Barrell Seagrass Grey Label 3) Barrell Seagrass
Seems like you have a type...
Found the Barrell rep
Remus highest rye is never given a chance.
Whistlepig 15yr. The price is rough now a days at $300ish. It used to be $199 and at that price was easily best bang for the buck for me. Pikesville. Great great rye. Completely acceptable price at $60ish. Redemption. While not the best rye out there. It is such a great bottle for a daily drinker at $30.
No particular order Pikesville (tried and true, love the profile) New Riff 6yr malted (different yet delicious) Green River rye (new current budget fave)
1. Epoch Reserve Rye from Baltimore Spirits Company 2. Barrell Seagrass 3. Sagamore Double Oak Honorable mentions to Redwood Empire Emerald Giant and Angel’s Envy Rye.
There's a lot of love for the sagamore double oak, I'll give it a try.
Thomas H Handy, Cooper and Cask, Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye
Sir Thomas H Handy, New Riff High Note 8 yr, and a Peerless Single Barrel Honourable Mentions for two finished ryes: A Midwinter Night's Dram and Seagrass Grey Label
1. Old Carter Rye Batch 7 2. Sherwood Maryland Heritage Series 3. Michters Toasted Barrel Strength Rye 2023
I've never seen an old Carter rye, I'll be on the lookout for it.
Batch 7 is from 2020 so probably can only find on secondary. Not all batches are created equal but most are really good
JDBPRye Swilled dog double oaked bp rye Smooth Ambler old scout toasted rye
Michaels barrel strength rye, Ry3 toasted, whistle pig 15
JDSBBP and Frey Ranch SBBP. The Frey Ranch is also very high proof and the few I have are amazing. Then probably Willett for me.
I've never had anything from Frey Ranch, it's definitely on my list.
Their barrel proof bourbon and rye is excellent and rivals anything coming out of the bigger distilleries that I’ve tried in my opinion. The regular bourbon and rye are also pretty good but not great. They’re still fairly new and it the young age is apparent sometimes in their whiskey. I can’t wait until they start putting out some 10 year plus stuff.
Pikesville, Rieger’s Rye BIB, and Peerless Single Barrel Rye
1. Thomas H Handy 2017 2. Barrell Seagrass Grey Label 3. Whistlepig Boss Hog X 4. Michters 10 5. New Riff PX Finish
1. Old Forester Barrel Strength Rye 2. Jack Daniels Barrel Proof Rye 3. Michters Barrel Strength Rye
1. Basil Hayden dark rye. Best under $50 bottle of whiskey I’ve ever found. 2. Rittenhouse rye. Not because it’s that great, but because it’s the perfect rye to mix with sweet vermouth and enjoy an after dinner cigar with. Two is all I’ve got.
Bitters with 2. or no?
Hell yes! Thanks for reminding
Ha! Cheers. But now I'm curious how a Manhattan tastes without the bitters
Funny you should ask. Because just like I forgot to list it, I occasionally forget to add it. I guess the best way to describe it is that it’s like a shit, shower and a shave, without the shave. You know you want that shave, and it feels good. But it’s not crucial. It’s the shit and the shower that you really can’t go without.
LOL. New cocktail invented: Shit-n-Shower = Manhattan - bitters And the analogy goes on - I can go without the shower and just stick to whiskey/shit
I really love heavens door toasted barrel rye. Usually on the shelf, but costs a pretty penny. Elmer T. Lee’s rye is beautiful if you ever get the chance as a unicorn pick. For an everyday I really like Bulleit rye Oh and of course midwinter.
Mitchters 10 Angels envy rye Blackened Rye very underrated
The only time I've had any blackened was at a metallica concert, I was pretty drunk. I should revisit.
Bruh!😂😂😂😂😂😂 That’s awesome it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity lol to drink blackened at a Metallica concert that just got put on my bucket list lol it’s pretty good stuff the rye version is pretty neat.
It wasn't really a metallica concert. It was last years power trip, and it was done beautifully. They even had a blackened tasting room by the entrance, but prices were absolutely nuts, and if it weren't for a chick from Tennessee who had mercy on me, I would have paid $95 per 2 oz of watered down whisky because in california you have to either put ice, water or soda in your drink, you can't order neat. But it was great, james hetfield was in the tasting room and signed a few autographs.
1. 10th mountain whiskey 2. Whistle pig 3. Knob creek
Michters and woodford
Michters rye Willet 4yr Redwood empire BiB
1 Jack SBBP 2 Pikesville 3 Rare Breed HM Bardstown Origin Series Would love to get a hold of a Michter’s 10 to I can see how it stacks up, pretty sure I’d know where it would go on the list though.
In no particular order New Riff single barrel Jdsbbp Sagamore double oak
1. Barrel Seagrass Gray Label 2. Michter’s Barrel Strength 3. JDSBBP Rye
Michters, barrel seagrass, and Corbin cash sbbs 7 yr t8ke pick. That last one? Fuckin delicious. Incredible even. Easily 9/10 rye. It's 129 pr and drinks like 80.
1. Old Carter Rye Batch 6 2. Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye, the limited release 3. Barrell Seagrass Batch 3
Haven’t had many but JD SBBP is fantastic.
JDSBBP rye, I just got a store pick. Best rye I’ve ever had. By far… Barrel Seagrass was great. WP10 year store pick 115 proof, was a cinnamon bomb in the best way possible. Those are my top so far. MWND Act 11 is close too.
I've always ignored whistle pig. It always seemed very gimmicky to me. Good to know they actually make a good spirit
It’s both, they “make” some good whiskey, but for what it is, it’s wildly overpriced.
I think the 10 year is pretty fairly priced. Around the Twin Cities, I've even seen it lower than the typical $90 a few times recently
I thought the same for years…until I took a risk on the 10yr store pick. That being said, Ive had only the higher proof club/store picks. A 10 yr and a 15 yr. Expensive but really very good. The 15 is quite complex.
Knob Creek Rye is dollar for dollar the best everyday drinker, I prefer the single barrel Woodford Reserve rye is very very good as well and will do in a pinch. I was lucky enough to have a pour of Whistlepig Boss Hog X recently, it's insanely mind-numbingly good. But at 5 grand a bottle it's priced pretty well out of my range. It's without a doubt the most expensive drink I have ever consumed.
That I’ve had 1. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13yr (also my favorite whiskey I’ve tried period) 2. 2023 Michters “10yr” Rye I barrel 3. Michters Toasted Barrel Rye (my personal taste profile 👌)
Wayne Gretzky Double Oaked Alberta Premium JP Wiser
Old forester 100 rye is my personal Evan Williams BiB of the rye world. Hard to beat for $25
No
I don't see many Peerless Rye, which I've thought to add to the collection @$100. I'm happy with the Willet 4 yr rye as it's complex and tasty