I’ve got samples piling up and am sitting on a bunch of bottles I’ve picked up during my travels, going all the way back to September. So that means it’s time for another BONUS POST!
Yeah, I’m excited too!
Today’s bonus whiskey is a bottle I picked up locally. I’ve lost the receipt, but we’ll just pretend that it was from Total Wine since I see that the one closest to me has it listed on their website. I almost walked past it because I thought it was just Elijah Craig Rye. And while I like Elijah Craig Rye, Heaven Hill ryes don’t usually speak to me the way others do. They’re good, but I usually prefer a higher amount of rye in my rye whiskey, as opposed to the traditional Kentucky “barely legal” style. But when I noticed that this was a different product, I knew I had to pick it up to share with you good folks.
So what is different between this Toasted Rye and the standard Elijah Craig Rye? The press release gives a good breakdown:
The process begins with fully matured Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, which is dumped and then re-entered at barrel proof into a second, custom toasted new oak barrel designed in partnership with Independent Stave Company. The toast on these secondary barrels is unique to Elijah Craig Toasted Rye. At the end of the nearly hour long toasting process, a cap is placed on the barrel to quickly ramp up the heat to an extremely high temperature allowing phenols to embed in the surface of the barrel for an added element of smoke to complement the spice and sweetness of the Rye.
Now onto the important part: how does it taste?
Elijah Craig Toasted Rye
Purchase Info: We’re pretending that I bought this at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN, for $56.99 for a 750 mL bottle because I lost the receipt and can’t remember which store I got it from.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.80
Details: Mash Bill: 51% rye, 35% corn, 14% malted barley. Finished in New Toasted Barrel. 47% ABV.
Nose: Strong notes of cedar and toffee followed by mint and cinnamon.
Mouth: Cinnamon, toffee, oak, milk chocolate, and cedar.
Finish: Medium in both length and width. Lingering notes of cinnamon, mint, oak, and red fruits.
Thoughts: This is good. Sweeter than most ryes, but very good. There’s a nice bit of oak influence, but the rye is still prominent. I think I’d still prefer ryes with a higher percentage of rye in their mash bill, but I appreciate the oak influence here. You typically only get this level of oak influence from long-duration aging, but extended aging often overpowers the rye character. This approach is a great way to achieve both.
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