A High-Flying Rye Flight
The Start of Year-End Ranking Season!
This flight started as a way to begin narrowing down my whiskies of the year list, and I decided to start with rye because lo-and-behold, this weekend brought me Rabbit Hole’s Boxergrail Founder’s Collection AND a sample of 2020’s Sazerac 18 from The Whiskey Ward in NYCs Lower East Side. I picked out the Parker’s Heritage Rye (not from 2020, I know, but good for comparison) and a special Barrell Rye pick out of Long Island City celebrating the uniquely grand role doctors (and healthcare workers in general) played this year in all of our lives.
What. A. Flight.
First off, this was my first time tasting Sazerac 18 of any year, and my first time tasting a PHC Rye. I had already tasted the Rabbit Hole Boxergrail regular release and liked it quite a bit (see my review here) but had been eagerly awaiting the Founder’s Collection since talking with Rabbit Hole’s Adam Edwards back in September. Finally, I had tasted another Barrell “M” Series Rye, but not this one…I’ll admit I chose this one for the ranking because of the sticker and the recognition of front-line workers, but of course a sticker has nothing to do with the quality inside.
Finally - why include the Parker’s if it’s not from 2020, you ask? Simply put, it’s different and I thought it would provide an interesting flavor contrast in a blind flight that could help contextualize the other ryes I wanted to rank.
These were all tried semi-blind: I knew the four pours in contention but they were randomized by my lovely wife and tasting assistant. Without further ado, here are the reviews:
Sample A:
Barrell Rye M725 “Doctors Are Us"
Indiana Straight Rye, Bottled by Barrell Craft Spirits and Selected by Blue Streak Wine & Spirits
58.1% ABV/116.2 Proof
7Y3M
Bottle 141
Eye: Dark amber verging on maple syrup. Medium rims, very slow droplet syrupy legs.
Nose: Aromatic instantly - scents flow out of the glencairn before I get close to sniff it. Sweeter rye profile overall but there’s also a tiny bit of rye funk there. Cooked rye grain. Wintergreen gum builds rapidly then ebbs into floral rye that further amps the sweetness and complexity. Herbal rye finally rolls around with thyme and mint, sweeter herbs rather than woodier ones. Keeps evolving with air.
Palate: Heat up front, lots of it, wintergreen sweetness that’s building and mouthwatering. Rye grain coats the palate. Feels like an MGP rye (and I was correct!) with enough dill to let you know it’s there but not enough to dominate the palate. Becomes more savory as the palate evolves. Interesting - sweet, savory, incredibly complex and continuously evolving. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, coating, oily, and velvety - really good just on the mouthfeel alone - carries the mint and the evolution from sweet to savory beautifully without feeling overoaked. Air amps up the heat but otherwise does nothing to ruin the fun.
Finish: All herbs, tiny bit of heat that keeps the party going.
Overall: This is fantastic. I want another bottle right now. Complex, continually evolving, hits all the sweet AND savory rye notes in a single glass. Best rye I’ve had since the Taconic Cask Strength I tried in September.
Sample B:
Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Rye Founder’s Collection
Rabbit Hole Distillery
57.3% ABV/114.6 Proof
6YO
Bottle 1219/1315
Eye: Amber maple syrup thin rims and droplet legs.
Nose: Tight nose at first, but there’s a dark and rich rye under there. Proof heat is the first “flavor” to open up, followed by tart stone fruits (red plums and yellow nectarines). Lots of rye grain rounds out the body. A tiny funky note towards the end.
Palate: Filling - sweet rye just explodes over the entire palate at once with dill and rye pepperiness rolling right behind. Not bready or yeasty. Vanilla baked goods and maple darkness build on the back palate and roll forward from there. Really incredible - the chew opens up more dill and vanilla in an intriguing but delicious pairing. Mouthfeel is silky and filling, a slight tongue burn that dissipates quickly into the great pure rye flavors.
Finish: Long - an herbed stone fruit salad. Mouthwateringly good. Light numbness throughout the palate tamps down the heat and lets the flavor shine.
Overall: Another incredible rye….if this wasn’t tasted blind with the Barrell “Doctors are Us” it would have been the heavyweight of the night.
Sample C:
Sazerac 18 YO 2020 (BTAC)
Buffalo Trace
45% ABV/90 Proof
18 YO
Eye: Orange blossom honey. Thin to medium unstable rims with medium legs.
Nose: Very different from A and B (Barrell and Boxergrail Founder’s)…also a pure rye, but more herbal and a little oaken. Lots of red fruits and stone fruits up front. Bazooka Joe bubblegum with a dusty sugar. Woody, sweet and creamy oak. More fruity than herbal overall.
Palate: Boom - there’s the rye. Bubblegum, slight proof heat, lots of stone fruits. Red Jolly Ranchers (both cherry and watermelon). Lots and lots of cherry, followed by some wintermint. Cherry and bubblegum merge into a single flavor that just kind of sits and stops evolving. Mouthfeel is a little thin yet coating, indicating an older and lower proof whiskey…not too thin that it dilutes the flavors, but not enough to make it special either.
Finish: Just cherry dominant, with a touch of both herbal and floral rye and a clean minty finish.
Overall: I like this, but nowhere near as much as the first two. The proof being lower makes a huge difference…this isn’t over-oaked, it’s not woody, but the lower proof and cherry dominance drowns out other complexities that I bet are there at a higher proof. Ends up as a one-note cherry bubblegum flavor.
Sample D:
Parker’s Heritage Heavy Char Rye
Heaven Hill Rye
52.5% ABV/105 Proof
8 YO, Aged in Char #5 Barrels
Eye: Brûlée oranges. Thin rims and quick droplet legs.
Nose: Lots of char and tobacco, like a just-put-out wood fire. Super oaky, not much rye. Some herbal notes in the way way back. Tasting this blind, pretty sure I knew it was the Parker’s before I even tasted it.
Palate: There’s the rye! But it’s still the oak show. Tons of char, pretzel crusts, savory baked goods just caught on the edges. Almost tastes more like a high-rye bourbon than a rye. Even the sweeter rye notes that develop feel more corn-y than rye-forward. Mouthfeel is viscous, toasty, with a bit of proof heat and tons of creamy oak.
Finish: Finish sticks around the palate, tilting more towards the rye side in an especially alkaline way. Think salted pretzel crusts fresh out of the lye water.
Overall: A frustrating pour, to be honest. If you told me this was a heavily charred WHISKEY, not a RYE, I would have rated this in the mid-6 range, but as a rye this just doesn’t muster up. The oak, char, and tobacco are totally dominant, with just the barest hint of rye there to say hello.
So the Big Question: WHO WON??
As I tasted through these, I quickly identified Samples C and D for what they were and both were underwhelming. A and B I wasn’t sure on. Both tasted like potential MGP Ryes, both were sweeter and complex profiles. Ultimately, though, the rankings went from left to right exactly as laid out:
9.0: Sample A: Barrell Rye M725 “Doctors Are Us”
8.3: Sample B: Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Founder’s Collection
6.5: Sample C: Sazerac 18 2020 (BTAC)
5.8: Sample D: Parker’s Heritage Heavy Char Rye
I really could not decide blind whether A or B was the Barrell or the Boxergrail, so I’m not sure whether I’m surprised or not. On any other night, the Rabbit Hole would’ve taken top spot - it was complex, interesting, and took their regular Boxergrail offering to a new level. But that Barrell pick is playing a different game entirely. If there are bottles left, I’m getting at least one more. If not, I’m going to be searching for some trades. Hats off to Blue Streak Wine & Spirits for an incredible pick from Barrell Craft Spirits.
The Barrell Rye M725 “Doctors Are Us” has officially taken over as my top rye of 2020 (and one of my all-time top ryes) and will be representing rye in my year-end rankings.
