Well hey there! Happy New Year! I hope things are going well for you so far. Over those New Year’s resolutions yet? I get around that particular problem by not making any. Sure, it’d be nice to lose some weight or drink less or work out or whatever. But putting a date on it just seems like more pressure and, hence, more likely to fail. I mean, the reason I eat delicious food and drink delicious alcohol is to help relieve the pressure of just living. Why add more?
“Oh man, I’m really stressed about counting these calories. I need to find something to distract me, something to take the edge off.” Aaaand then I notice the coupon for a local pizza place. “No I’m trying to be good!” You know what’s good? Extra cheese.
So yeah. I just don’t make resolutions. Seems easier in the long run. Anyway, no one needs to take life advice from me, I’m a bit of a mess. So let’s jump into tonight’s whiskey.
I picked up this bottle of Old Pepper Bottled-in-Bond Rye at The Party Source in Bellevue, KY back in May. Yep, I’m still digging back in the closet for the first part of this month unless something arrives. I’ll have a few more from the same road trip coming up in the next few weeks as I finally get through everything.
Old Pepper is made by the James E. Pepper Distilling Company in Lexington, KY. It had been a while since I’d picked up any of their stuff — years, in fact. And back then it was the sourced 1776 bourbon and rye. But when I noticed that this was distilled in-house, I decided to take a flyer on it. And before I get into whether that flyer paid off, let’s look at what the distillery has to say about it.
100% Rye, i.e. a 'Pure Rye' as Col. Pepper used to produce; Aged in new toasted & charred barrels made from Kentucky Oak, air seasoned a minimum of 18-24 months; Water source from the historic distillery well. Distilled and bottled at the historic James E. Pepper Distillery (DSP-KY-5) in Lexington, Kentucky. Aged a minimum of 4 years and bottled at 100 proof. Distilling season listed on signature strip label.
Now, there’s no mention of whether the “100% rye” means they used malted rye or enzymes. But if it tastes good, I’m not too worried about it. I’ve had good rye made both ways. Let’s dig in.
Old Pepper Bottled-in-Bond Rye
Purchase Info: $54.99 for a 750 mL bottle at the Party Source, Bellevue, KY
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.67
Details: 50% ABV. DSP-KY-5. Batch S2019
Nose: Toffee, cedar, spearmint, and nutmeg.
Mouth: Very warm with a nice mouthfeel. Notes of caramel, cedar, cinnamon, spearmint, and oak.
Finish: Warm and long with notes of nutmeg, mint, cinnamon, and oak.
Thoughts: This is really good. I’m a rye fan, so a tasty rye with a great, viscous mouthfeel is a real treat for me. I like the sweetness and spice, and the rye flavors are wonderful. I really like this one. Can’t wait to try the bourbon.
Stay tuned for that one…
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