Brian’s Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey Review:
reviewed and enjoyed on 19-October-2021
PIKESVILLE STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY REVIEW:
Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey (Pikesville) is a departure for those who are familiar with bourbon or other whiskies. There is a lesson to be learned here — be careful of bias. Let your pours stand for what they are. The aromas and palate for Pikesville are savory and spicy more than fruity and sweet, and the pour finishes hot and dark. This is rye through and through, and while maybe not for everyone, I will reach for this rye again when I want to tantalize my senses.
PIKESVILLE STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY VITAL STATS:
Category: Straight Rye Whiskey
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Company: Heaven Hill
Distillery: Bernheim Distillery
Mashbill: 51% Rye, 39% Corn, 10% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: 6 Year
ABV: 55% (110 Proof)
Released: Ongoing
Price: $49.95 (in Idaho, Fall 2021)
“First produced in Maryland in the 1890s, Pikesville Rye, along with the rest of the once-booming Maryland Rye industry, was shuttered by Prohibition … Now produced in Kentucky from extra-aged barrels stored in prime warehouse locations, Heaven Hill Distillery keeps this historic Maryland mark alive.”
— Heaven Hill Distillery
Click Heaven Hill Distillery to learn more.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
The whiskey was aerated and mixed by alternately pouring about four ounces into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the whiskey neat for this review.
Check out her review for this rye here!
PIKESVILLE STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY NOSE:
When first brought to my nose, Pikesville offers a quick burn, but with waves of unusual aromas I’ve not experienced in a whiskey before. I sense mulled wine, beer-like fermented corn, and acidic tart apple cider vinegar which seems bolstered by the brininess of pickling spices mixed with rye. Other than these confusing oddities, there are not many typical whiskey aromas. But as they are simple and fresh, I let the oddness pass as simple syrup and faint caramel along with dry oak planks help balance the nose.
PIKESVILLE STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY PALATE:
As I sip Pikesville, I am treated to dusty grain and faint but fresh tart apple cider vinegar, warm dark stone fruit and the sensation of a citrusy fruit leather. As on the nose, it is briny with notes of ginger, pepper, and rye. It is savory more than sweet and I am so glad the pickling spices I sensed on the nose do not pass to the palate. There is just enough faint woody caramel to help with the balance as bitter nuts and dry but light old oak char and leather fade away.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Pikesville is simple, and does not have many distinctive aromas or flavors. The first sip becomes creamy the longer the whiskey is held but it does build to a soft manageable tickle. Inside the Glencairn, long fat legs transport the wash of each sip back to the mahogany colored pool leaving behind an incredibly long-lasting droplet filled and oily crown.
PIKESVILLE STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY FINISH:
Pikesville Rye has a long finish. It is hot in the throat but totally manageable as dusty grain dances with briny ginger and pepper. This is an earthy, rye filled finish with dry oak, barrel char, and leather which improves as the pour goes down. And as the last dram is downed, soft white oak drifts from the empty Glencairn.
MY PIKESVILLE STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY RATING: 88/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
I am on the lookout for a replacement bottle and intend to have a backup in my bunker.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Back to …