Chicken Cock Island Rooster Caribbean Rum-Finished Rye
Rum finishes are, for now, my favorite pairing with rye.
Sure, there are some inherently more interesting or unusual, but there’s something about a sweet rum and a spicy rye that just sing together.
Some lean heavily into the sweetness (looking at you, Angel’s Envy) and some lean more into the rye, but more often than not there’s a lovely balance between the two that allows for plenty of human error. Unlike other finishings, that is, where it feels like a day or two too long or too short throws the whole thing off.
When i first got to try Chicken Cock Bourbon and Rye last year, I was surprised: I liked the bourbon more than the rye.
It wasn’t a huge difference, to be sure, but the bourbon was clearly my favorite. I still have a bit left over. Just for fun, I tried it alongside the Chicken Cock Island Rooster, the limited edition bottling finished in Caribbean rum casks - and in true king of the hill style, the Island Rooster was now at the top of my ladder within the brand.
I just wish I knew where the rum was from! (Besides the Caribbean, generally). I keep running into this problem - I felt the same with Doc Swinson’s Rum-Finishes, where the balance was as great as with Island Rooster - where I need to know the provenance to be fully satisfied with the product. Ah well…another dead end (for now).
So instead, let’s jump back to the rum and rye pairing. One consistency has been obvious: 95/5 ryes, or similarly high-rye mashbills, are the best equipped to both stand up to the rums’ sweetness. Anything under Monongahela-level rye has been quickly overtaken by rum finishes.
What do Chicken Cock Island Rooster and Doc Swinson’s Funky Drummer (finished in Jamaican rum casks) have in common? 95% rye mashbills.
Even made at different distilleries (the former at Bardstown Bourbon Co. and the latter at MGP), the conclusion is the same: there’s something magical about a high, high rye and a sweet-but-not-too-sweet aged bourbon that pairs as well as any other whiskey-and-finish-pairing out there.
To close out with the elephant in the room, yes - this is expensive, and frankly too expensive. This would have to use insanely high-quality rum barrels plus be at barrel proof (or at least not 95º) to justify a $200 price tag. Even with the pedigree of the guy behind it, that’s still a steep hill.
That being said, it’s a damn good whiskey, and for those who like some sweetness with their spice, it’ll hit the spot on a night when you want something satisfyingly different.
Thank you to Grain and Barrel and Ro-Bro Marketing for providing this sample for review purposes without restriction.
Chicken Cock Island Rooster Caribbean Rum-Finished Rye Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks
Origin: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Proof: 95 (47.5% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Kentucky
Chicken Cock Island Rooster Caribbean Rum-Finished Rye Whiskey Price: $199.99
Chicken Cock Island Rooster Caribbean Rum-Finished Rye Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Golden apple juice. Schizoid rims and large hang-on drops.
Nose: Sweet rye is there, a bit muted. The 95/5 rye is the same - there, but muted. It’s not a tight nose, but it needs punching up. Just a bit of proof and oak eke out. More rum starts to come through, leading the nose into sweet territory.
Palate: Rum-finished rye, that’s for sure. Everything fits and is in its place: the rum sweetens the rye’s herbaceous nature while the rye adds baking spice, woody herb stems, and oak to the rum. Not overfinished - not even close. Mouthfeel is peppery, oily, medium-bodied and both oaky and creamy. Well-balanced, drinking a few points above proof.
Finish: Rum only, at first, with an oaky backbone. Then the rye comes in with sweetened herbs and astringency. Medium-to-long finish with the balance continuing throughout.
Overall: Well-balanced, never too sweet or too herbaceous. The nose needs some punching up, as it’s not helped by air, though the palate drinks a bit above proof. If there were a way to shift some points from the palate to the nose, this would be solid at all three points.
Final Rating: 7.1
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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