Hannah’s Templeton Rye 4YR Review
Original review written January 11, 2022
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
A simple whiskey, with plenty of possibilities for mixing and experimenting with, this one is just a fun, little pour. Honey, nectarines, and plenty of summery tones make this tasty for anyone. 80/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Templeton, Iowa, USA
– Distillery: MGP Inc., Templeton Rye Spirits LLC
– Classification: Rye Whiskey
– Age: 4 yrs.
– Mash Bill: undisclosed, believed to be 95% rye and 5% barley
– Casks: undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 40% (80 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho in 2021
Visit templetondistillery.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this rye here!
SETTING:
This one makes me want to sit on a porch swing in the middle of summer, looking out onto a lake. I’d love Templeton 4YR with some sort of mix, over some ice to help me keep cool in the heat. Everything is simple and refreshing and perfectly good. Bonus points if I’m drinking it out of big, Mason jar.
Photo by Aditya Vyas on Unsplash
NOSE:
This smells very sweet on the initial nosing, with peanut brittle, caramel, and butterscotch being the first aromas I catch. Not far behind these flavors is rye, a peppery freshness. It’s not aggressive, and I find that it pairs well with the sweetness offered first. There is a subtle fruit preserve that follows them all, bright and full of natural sugars. It seems most like a light stone fruit. With it, a distinct honey flavor that turns floral arrives and deepens with each inhale. Overall, it smells warm and inviting, if not also unique and original with its strong honey aromas.
The alcohol is nonexistent and certainly very approachable.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Syrupy. I feel like I could drizzle this over pancakes and not be able to tell the textural difference between it and maple syrup. (Though the flavors would be different, obviously).
– Balance: Simple. It doesn’t have much of an explosive palate with one flavor or another, but it balances out well enough. There aren’t any flavors sticking out particularly odd.
– Visual: Russet in color, this leaves an uneven crown with some clinging droplets and the occasional, fast-dropping leg.
– Taste: The honey sweetness from the nose is still apparent here on the palate, and it has adopted an earthy, almost tea-like quality. There is even ginger to complete the ring, making it taste slightly medicinal (in a good way?). It’s even a bit reminiscent of sweet tea, making me want to throw this Templeton on the rocks just to see what would happen. There is still some of the stone fruit around as well, decidedly more on the nectarine side of things. This pour, so far, isn’t anything overly complex (though certainly different and original); however, there are a lot of ideas for mixing that come to mind.
I can’t find wood or char to speak of, aside from a twinge of bitterness that could stem from wood. It doesn’t seem oaky, but the wood is quite fresh – even tasting green. It’s not unlike an apple stem that I occasionally chew after finishing the fruit.
The alcohol is still impossible to detect, and when I partake in a Kentucky chew, it rears its head only slightly. Nectarines and now apples come to the forefront, chased still by the potent honey and tea flavors.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Short. There is a bit of flavor that remains at the end of the sip, but there is not much warmth.
– Between Sips: Sweet tea and apple sit between sips, and while this is good, it leaves me wanting something more from the palate. It feels like something is missing (likely whiskey warmth).
– No More: This stays consistent the further into the glass I get. An argument could be made for the tea essence growing in potency, but as someone who doesn’t drink tea, it still is not off-putting. I’d hoped some warmth would continue to grow, but unfortunately, it just has not.
The empty Glencairn is just as sweet and honey-like as the rest of the pour. There’s some brown sugar and baked goods, like waffles with maybe just a touch of cinnamon as well. I do wish the whole glass had been this spicy and deep.
WORTH THE PRICE?
$30 USD for this I think is a very fair price. I would not pay $40 for something quite this simple. However, if it were only $20, I’d think it a steal for the number of possibilities and ideas Templeton 4YR generates. Appropriately priced, and I could be convinced to buy it again.
TEMPLETON RYE 4YR REVIEW RATING: 80/100
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