Roulette Rye
Thank you to Proof and Wood for providing a sample strings-free.
I got the chance to chat with Dave Schmier, owner of Proof and Wood, on the Whiskey Ring Podcast a few weeks ago (premiering May 19th!). Over these next few reviews I’ll talk about different parts of the conversation, but I knew immediately that I wanted to start with this pour.
Dave is VERY open about sourcing most of his bourbons and ryes from MGP (The Justice is one exception). Any why not - it’s good stuff! Being a larger NDP (non-distilling producer) with a long-standing relationship, he already has the “ins” to get barrels that he wants most of the time.
Talking about Roulette Rye came from talking about Deadwood Bourbon - a younger bourbon that is meant more as a mixer or well bourbon than Proof and Wood’s higher-end offerings. I’m someone who appreciates whiskey that has a purpose - a finish with a purpose, a style with a purpose, just not when brands do things seemingly at random just for shits and giggles.
In thinking about Roulette Rye, Dave told how he would talk to bartenders about Deadwood and how they liked it because it was good quality and inexpensive - they needed something similar on the rye side. Enter Roulette Rye. At $27, it’s just over $1 an ounce, allowing plenty of room for margin, and can compete with similarly priced ryes such as Rittenhouse and Old Overholt with a different style from each. See? A purpose.
As I was trying this, Rittenhouse was really the one that I was reminded of most. Rittenhouse is pretty explicitly a mixing rye that could be had neat, but really it’s meant to have its flavor profile bounce off the other ingredients. Poured straight, Roulette Rye was what I call a pleasant sipper - good, definitely drinkable on its own, but clearly meant for mixing.
I think these types of pours, whether bourbon, rye, or otherwise, get the short shrift - calling them “mixing” pours doesn’t really help, I guess - but I mean it when I say a pleasant sipper.
This has an intriguing candied ginger overtone that I really enjoy and almost never get in a whiskey, and when I was tasting it I also didn’t feel like something was missing. Ultimately, it comes down to this: Roulette Rye was thought up to be a well rye, a mixing rye, that could also be drunk on its own. No pun intended, it accomplishes this in spades.
Roulette Rye: Specs
Classification: Rye
Origin: MGP
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: 4 Years Old
Location: Distilled in IN, Bottled in Kentucky
Roulette Rye Price: $27
Roulette Rye Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Amber maple syrup. Thin rims, thin legs.
Nose: Sweet and mild. Definitely that MGP 95/5 rye flavor, though at a younger age it’s not nearly as woody or spicy. The sweetness remains with air.
Palate: There’s that good old flavor I love so much. Again, it’s sweeter, with candied ginger offering pleasant spicy notes. The 100º is a smart move - the candied ginger could end up too spicy at a higher proof, but instead builds slowly into a rounded, complex flavor. I’m really liking this. Mouthfeel is creamy, a bit spicy, coating, the candied ginger continues all the way.
Finish: Same as the palate, medium-length.
Overall: This accomplishes exactly what it’s meant to do. At four years old and 100º, it’s not going to blow your face off or necessarily blow your mind (although to be honest the candied ginger made it more interesting than I was expecting!), but it’s also a pleasant sipper that I could see going to neat or in a cocktail. I’m reminded most of Rittenhouse, even though it’s a completely different flavor - a rye pretty much designed to be a mixer that is good enough to be sipped as well.
Final Rating: 6.2
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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