Single Barrel Samples with Blue Streak Wine and Liquors
A few weeks ago, I named a Barrell Rye pick my rye of the year: that pick, an MGP-sourced 7YO single barrel, was done by Blue Streak Wine and Liquors in Long Island City, NY.
Once I had that rye (and got another bottle!) I contacted the owner, Rob Bralow, about trying the rest of his single barrel picks. A lot of stores do picks, big and small, and an unwritten rule is that once a store picks a good barrel or two it’s a sign they’re doing something right (conversely, avoid big stores that do “panel” picks - they are rarely better than meh and some I’ve had are downright bad).
Rob agreed, and was extremely generous. He gave me a sample of not one or two, but all five remaining store picks he still had on the shelves. Long story short - these guys are picking great stuff and all six are still available. I’ve included links to each with their respective notes.
This is the first in what I hope will be an ongoing series highlighting the smaller liquor stores that don’t get enough publicity or recognition for the great picks they do. And hey - if they get a few more sales in the process, fantastic.
The tasting notes are my own, and were not influenced by Rob or Blue Streak in any way. I receive no benefits for these notes and no commissions if you click the links.
Barrell Rye “Doctors are Us”
Indiana Straight Rye (MGP), 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.
Rating: 9.0
New Riff Single Barrel “Swedish Weaddah”
52.75% ABV/105.5 Proof
4Y, 2M
Eye: Golden honey. Medium rims and slow droplet legs.
Nose: Corny, more than a little proof heat pops out. This doesn’t need air to open, that’s for sure! Good rye component, too, comes in with a little menthol and some rye grain. Creamed corn and a note I can’t quite place - maybe green oak? It’s a young oak but it’s not a negative youthfulness like some young oak can be. That note builds with air but still doesn’t detract from a pretty good nose.
Palate: Palate is immediately sweet - Twizzlers, mixed fruit gummy candies - then an oaky astringency rolls right in after it. Cola syrup thickens on the palate while the drying note coats the whole mouth. Sweet, fresh-off-the-cob corn. Red delicious apples in the background. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, building as you sip. Quite coating, nice proof heat tingle that sticks around. The rye grows, but stays in the backseat.
Finish: Here the corn and rye are on equal footing - sweet, bourbon corn on the top and front palate, spicy, mentholated rye on the back palate towards the throat. Medium-length and enjoyable, keeps the flavors going pleasantly.
Overall: I’m not usually a huge fan of New Riff: I don’t dislike them, and I know they’re putting out a quality product, it’s just not usually my palate profile. This single barrel is an outlier - it’s definitely rye forward, which helps both emphasize the corn sweetness and tone down the youthfulness that NR can sometimes have.
Rating: 6.8
Redemption High Rye Bourbon Single Barrel “Weird Shape”Fall 2020 Release
Redemption Bourbon (MGP-Sourced)
53.5% ABV/107 Proof
5Y 2M, Warehouse J, 5th Floor
Eye: Orange blossom honey. Very thin rims and thin syrupy legs.
Nose: You can smell the balance right away - the sweetness from the corn and the spice and body from the rye. The crisp edges of sweetened cornbread with a little butter. Rich eucalyptus and molasses from the rye smell like the cornbread was placed right on top of it on a plate and you’re eating both together.
Palate: Not as sweet as the nose would suggest - the palate is much more rye forward. I’d almost think this a high corn rye rather than a high rye bourbon. Great smoky notes added to the cornbread, now unsweetened but still slathered in butter. Rye bread, sweet herbs, barest proof heat. Mouthfeel is viscous, coating, velvety, leaving a nice texture on my tongue and palate without getting into every nook and cranny. A light fruitiness opens up with a chew, some caramelized peaches and white grapes.
Finish: Still more rye-forward than bourbon-forward, though a case could be made for either. The finish itself is medium-length, spicy on the back palate then gently mellows from back-to-front. The mouthfeel is so coating that it’s still there while the finish fades, keeping the corn and rye from disappearing too quickly.
Overall: Redemption is one of the first ryes I ever had, but I have much less experience with their bourbons. I’m always a fan of MGPs high-rye bourbon mashbill - this particular bottle kept it more interesting than most, though. The rye and corn trade blows, but never seem out of balance with each other. The mouthfeel alone awards this pour some extra points - it just won’t quit.
Rating: 7.0
Woodford Reserve Single Barrel “Mom’s Barrel”
Woodford Reserve Bourbon
5Y 6M
Rick 15C19 x 2
Eye: Orange blossom honey. Very thin rims and thin syrupy legs.
Nose: Woodford nose to a tee. Surprising amount of proof heat, but not blow-your-nose-off level. Butterscotch, creamy oak, the tiniest hit of rye, and some Runts candies from the machines at grocery stores. Some orchard fruit peeks out in underripe peaches and white nectarines.
Palate: At first…nothing….then the oak spice and dryness hits out of nowhere with the peach and nectarine. White grapes come in, too - think white Sangria fruits. Green bananas roll in, both natural banana and artificial flavoring. Mouthfeel is fairly light, coating for a few seconds then dissipates, leaving the green banana flavor but no feeling, if that makes sense.
Finish: Short-to-medium length, again solid Woodford style. Actually, scratch that and make it a short finish. Just like the mouthfeel, the flavors stick around but the bourbon is gone. An odd sensation to be sure.
Overall: Look…I’m not a Woodford fan. I’m not generally a Brown-Forman fan, excepting Jack Daniel’s barrel proof expressions. Just like New Riff, I know they put out a quality product and some people fawn over it…it’s not my jam. This pick adds some measure of complexity to the Woodford profile with the underripe orchard fruits and a kicked-up proof heat, so if you’re a Woodford fan you’ll probably love this. For me, just ok.
Rating: 5.6
1792 Full Proof Single Barrel “Lockdown #1”
Barton 1792 Distillery
7Y 8M (2-28-13 -> 10-2-2020)
Warehouse U, Floor 7, Rick 13
Eye: Orange liqueur. Medium rims and droplet legs.
Nose: There’s that high-proof punch I love. There’s something about Full Proof - I haven’t had a bad pick yet and they all start with that punch to the nose. Fire-roasted corn is the first flavor to come out behind the heat, with dark fruits lying in wait. Might need a bit more air to open up.
Palate: Proof heat right away that coats my entire mouth. Milk chocolate and boiled peanuts roll in behind. Not as nutty as a Beam or Heaven Hill for sure, but a pleasant, light nuttiness all the same. Dried dark fruits - Fig Newton filling and date puree. Mouthfeel is light-to-medium, somewhat numbing. Dark red fruit peeks out, like a dark chocolate Raisinette. Bourbon vanilla beans add to the coat.
Finish: Short on the first few sips, but grows to medium-length. The chocolate decides on semisweet - not too milky, not too dark - and stays as the first layer on my palate. Those dried, unsweetened fruits are subtle on top of the chocolate and add complexity similar to a well-aged red wine.
Overall: One of the more unusual 1792 Full Proof picks I’ve tried. The chocolate note is common, but this one uses the fruit as an accent rather than the main flavor component. It’s intriguing and I find myself liking more and more as I sip. The chocolate never becomes too dark or overwhelming, and neither does the fruit overtake the chocolate. This pick might need some air and some thought, but it will keep you thinking - and that’s the sign of a good, complex bourbon to me.
Rating: 7.4
Whistlepig Single Barrel 10 YO “Sweet Pig”
Canadian Rye Sourced from Alberta Distillers
Age-stated at 10Y but actually 12Y
51.85%/102.9 Proof
Eye: Coppered honey. Thin rims and thin legs.
Nose: Fruity rye - red tree fruits dusted in cocoa powder. Sweet rye, no woody notes and only light herbal/floral characteristics. Nose is pleasant and not too hot.
Palate: Peaches and plums, white Sangria, some good proof heat rolls in alongside the fruitiness. Dark chocolate kicks in on the second sip as the mouthfeel thickens into a light syrup. Coating, sweet, very pleasant to sip. I can easily imagine this as a summer whiskey.
Finish: Medium length - the heat sticks around as do the fruit and chocolate flavors. All settle on the back of my teeth and my upper palate.
Overall: Alberta Rye has gotten a lot of attention in the past few months, but don’t sleep on these Whistlepig picks. They may be standardized at a 10-year age-statement, but some - like this - are older than that, and those extra years make a big difference. I find the regular 10Y to be a bit thin but the oak has had more time to work its magic, resulting in a great mouthfeel and subtle, interesting flavors. I’d be quite happy with a bottle of this once the heat comes back to New York.
Rating: 7.5
