Rye Whiskey Archives – Whiskey for the Ages

Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey

Posted on 05-September-202205-September-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Elijah Craig Straight Rye Review:

reviewed 12-July-2022

ELIJAH CRAIG STRAIGHT RYE BOURBON REVIEW:

Like many rye whiskies, Elijah Craig Straight Rye (Elijah Craig Rye) starts fresh and clean. Shaved coconut and an illusive tropical fruit in the aroma keeps me guessing. With each sip, chocolate cream and soft buttery caramel with a touch of honey fade in and there is smoky sweet toasted wood here too. This is a good rye.

ELIJAH CRAIG STRAIGHT RYE VITAL STATS:

Category: Rye Whiskey
Region: Bardstown, KY
Distillery: Heaven Hill
Mash Bill: 51% rye, 35% corn, 14% malted barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas
ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 26555
Price: $32.95 (Idaho, 2022)
No batch or bottle number identifiers

Learn more at Elijah Craig.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into three Glencairns. My daughters and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out Hannah’s review for this rye here!

ELIJAH CRAIG STRAIGHT RYE NOSE:

Elijah Craig Rye offers a fragrant aroma of fruit tree blossoms in a bed of faint drying hay. I sense Maraschino cherry and an undefined tropical fruit sprinkled with powdered ginger and rye. Sweetness comes as a chocolate cream filled pastry dusted with both brown and maple sugar some coconut shavings and a few chocolate chips. As the sweets fade I am able to detect dry oak planks and hazy barrel aromas. Above all, this rye is fresh and light.

ELIJAH CRAIG STRAIGHT RYE PALATE:

The first sip continues with lightness and many of the flavors sensed on the nose. Elijah Craig Rye is warm and full of tree blossoms. The fruit theme carries through with flavors of apricots, candied Maraschino cherries, and yellow gourmet raisins. I also taste spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper with more baking notes of brown sugared pastry and toasted rye bread. In addition to the fruit there are sweets of chocolate cream, soft buttery caramel, and a dizzle of honey which pair nicely with seasoned and smoky sweet toasted dry oak.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Elijah Craig Rye’s aromas and flavors are fresh, light and as noted above well blended. Each mouthful is a bit thin but buttery and easy to hold. The thin mouthful contradicts what is seen in the glass as many long thick legs slide after-sips back to the carrot colored pool leaving behind big clinging droplets in an ill-defined crown.

ELIJAH CRAIG STRAIGHT RYE FINISH:

Elijah Craig Straight Rye leaves a medium and warm fruit tree blossom filled finish with the memory of apricots, candied Maraschino cherries, and juicy raisins. I feel black pepper and rye disolve in my throat as they are soothed by buttery honey. As the flavor sensations melt, seasoned dry oak and smoky sweet toasted wood drift in and out. And when the last of the pour is taken, the empty Glencairn smells of caramelized brown sugar and oak planks drying under fruit trees in full blossom.

MY RATING: 90/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
I am happy to have another bottle in the bunker.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Whiskey Reviews

Elijah Craig Straight Rye Review

Posted on 05-September-202205-September-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Elijah Craig Straight Rye Review

Original review written July 12, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A solid rye that I have been looking forward to tasting. It’s deep, rich, and sweet, and almost doesn’t drink like a rye. Nevertheless, a great buy, and one I will keep around most certainly. 89/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Straight Rye
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: Rye=51%; Corn=35%; Malted Barley=14%
– Casks: unpublished char
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Price: $32.95 USD in Idaho 2022

Visit elijahcraig.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat with sister, Elora, and well as father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this rye here!

SETTING:

I imagine sitting on a stool with Elijah Craig Straight Rye in one hand, and a big bowl of chocolate in the other. Decorate the chocolate with various fruits and colors, and I think this rye has met its partner. I think the sweetness of each will play off of one another well, emphasizing bitterness in the right places and exacerbating warmth in others. The rye and chocolate create a pleasant hug of sweetness and comfort, and the two together only would make each other shine all the more.

Photo by American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash

NOSE:

This meets the nose as a dark rye with plenty of malt and a thick toffee acting as a foundation, complete with hazelnuts and toasted coconut and even a tart, citrus zest. The wood is formidable as well, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s fresh. Rather, it has a musty element, making it seem water-logged with the plant/vegetation aspect incredibly strong. Despite this, I can still find a freshness in this nose, with the smell of rain (petrichor) absolutely bursting from the glass mixing with a bite of cinnamon to sweeten.

For this being an Elijah Craig product, I’m not surprised to sense black pepper; however, I am surprised to note how little black pepper there is. This rye is earthy and deep and teems with age (for a rye at least). The alcohol is even softer with the rye than how it is with its Small Batch Bourbon counterpart. Nevertheless, this is still a complex and intriguing rye, and I am ready to sip.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: It’s slightly more watery than I was anticipating, but it does grow in texture and warmth with more sips.
– Balance: Heavy on the sugary sweetness, this still has a wood base and earthy tone that make everything else taste that much livelier.
– Visual: Carrot in color, there are many, thick legs that fall from clinging droplets. The droplets turn to a solid ring, and this also lingers for a good deal of time.

– Taste: I can let this sit on my palate almost indefinitely without feeling much of a burn, and also not a great deal of flavor. When a bit more aggravated, a dark brown sugar emerges with molasses and a sweet praline trails them. A sweeter nut, like peanuts, resides in this praline as opposed to the bitter hazelnuts from the nose. There’s honeycomb, candied apples, melted chocolate and even a bit of maple. This whole glass radiates dark sweetness, touched by the slightest amount of black pepper to make everything bite a little.

It’s a rye that, frankly, is hard to forcibly interact with. The temptation to just sit with it and let the warmth grow is tremendous. It grows in complexity also the longer it sits on the tongue, with the sugar elements turning into pure sugar crystals and the depth intensifying into something that tastes older and older. There aren’t many fruits aside from the occasional raisin and aforementioned apples. All the same, this is a sheer joy to sip. The alcohol is mild, but it does escalate in warmth the further into the glass I get. A Kentucky chew provokes chocolate and buttery walnuts, and the warmth is excellent.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. At times, the heat lingers and punches even after the sip is gone; however, most often it dwindles and settles without incident.
– Between Sips: Caramel and chocolate – like a candy bar – can be found between sips, but otherwise, the flavor does fade somewhat quickly.

– No More: This grows in complexity the longer I sit with it, and as mentioned in the palate, the alcohol grows as well, becoming warmer, and somehow, even richer.

The empty Glencairn is a light oak with bits of honey and vanilla mixed in – unaggressive, but certainly soft and smooth. I wish it was a little punchier, but this rye has held true to its sweetness until the very end.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Just over $30, and an Elijah Craig and a rye from their distilleries at last – absolutely it’s worth the price. This rye is a great value, and it’s one that I intend to keep around in the bunker given the chance.

ELIJAH CRAIG STRAIGHT RYE REVIEW RATING: 89/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 89/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

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Whiskey Reviews

Elora and Cream of Kentucky Rye

Posted on 27-June-202231-July-2024 by whiskeyfortheages

Elora and Cream of Kentucky Rye

Original review written June 21, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This rye does not have a lot of sweetness, but earthy elements like bread, herbs, plants, and soil dominate the dram in an intriguing manner.

VITALS:

CATEGORY: Bottled-in-Bond Rye
REGION: Middleton, KY
DISTILLERY: Distilled, aged and bottled at Kentucky Artisan Distillery
DISTILLER: Jim Rutledge, former Master Distiller at Four Roses
MASH BILL: 100% Ryman Rye
BARREL CHAR: unpublished
BARREL ENTRY PROOF: unpublished
AGE: 4 years old (minimum)
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 16195
PRICE: $80.45 USD in Idaho

Learn more at J.W. Rutledge Distillery.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed this rye in my living room along with my sister, Hannah, and my father, Brian, while listening to folk country music.

Check out Hannah’s review for this rye here!

Check out Brian’s review of this rye here!

MUSIC SELECTION:

There is a pastoral element to this rye; earthiness dominates the glass and it is impossible to ignore. A hint of darkness is also present, but it isn’t necessarily morally bad. It exists like a shade of grey that lets the light shine. “House on a Hill” depicts a dystopian reality where the only light and goodness can be found in the innocence that children.

Video found on YouTube.com under The Pretty Reckless Channel from Going to Hell (2014)

The second movement of Dvořák’s From the New World Symphony, strongly linked to the spiritual folk song, “Goin’ Home,” brings a sense of hope for a brighter future and for seeing lost loved ones again.

Video found on YouTube.com. London Philharmonic Orchestra; March 13, 2019 (video published); David Perry, Conductor; The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music, album

NOSE:

Alcoholic heat strikes the nose at first before being quickly dominated by rye, black, and pretzel bread, flour, cooked noodles, oats, malt, sesame seeds, and other assorted grains. There is not a lot of sweetness here except for small hints of raisins, brown sugar, golden delicious apples, butterscotch candies, rich vanilla bean, fig, and artificial grape flavoring. The dram also carries a number of herbal and nutty elements such as pumpkin fruit, green vegetables like cabbage and asparagus, salt-roasted sunflower seeds, pistachios, cashews, and potting soil. Savory flavors like black pepper, butter, and seasoned spaghetti squash, are also present.

PALATE:

Feel: The drink is not abnormally hot. It freshens the mouth and almost cleanses it. A familiar alcoholic burn is present, but is not overwhelming.
Balance: All of the flavors of bread and nuttiness blend very well, and it is easy for the drinker to distinguish flavors.
Visual: The color leans towards mahogany, but one could make the argument that the color is terracotta pot; long legs stain the glass like the windows of a church and a very defined crown is visible.

Just like in the nose, grainy and earthy flavors swiftly dominate the palate. Rye and whole wheat bread is easily noticeable along with oats, alfalfa hay, sesame seeds, blended peanuts and sunflower seeds, petrichor, and bibliosmia.

There are also savory elements such as cooked ranch-style and black beans, maple bacon, salted butter, butter-seasoned eggs, baked potato, spicy spaghetti sauce including meat flavors. Again, sweetness is not really a noticeable element. If one were to try to perceive any of these tastes in this category, they might detect a nutty pie, like butter pecan, boxed red wine, and raisins. One particular and uncommon taste is worth noting, and it is one that resembles the scent of an old, musky piano. When snuffing this flavor out, I was reminded of the times I would be playing the clarinet or piano in a small practice room at the university I attended.

FINISH:

The finish has a medium length of time, only lasting for about five whole seconds at most. The flavors explode in the palate before quickly declining into a gentle heat in the chest. Fruit leather, rye bread, oats, and baked potatoes dominate the aftertaste while subtle hints of spaghetti sauce, fresh tomatoes, banana bread, malt, and golden delicious apples can also be detected.

BUY AGAIN / WORTH THE PRICE:

The rye is an intriguing dram, but a price of $80 for this is an expensive offer, especially since it lacks the sweetness factor that I enjoy in whiskey. Therefore, I would have to say that for me, it is not worth the price.

I personally would not get this again. However, if it were offered at a gathering where there were sides of bread and cheese, I would happily go for it.

ELORA AND CREAM OF KENTUCKY RYE RATING: 82 / 100

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Elora’s Reviews
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