Rossville Union Review Archives – Whiskey for the Ages

Brian’s Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey Review:

reviewed 19-April-2022

ROSSVILLE STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY REVIEW:

Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey (Rossville Rye) is one I intend to have shelved and ready for summer. For those who know me, I’m not one to enjoy my whiskey on the rocks – but may make an exception here. This one reminds me of desert … a whiskey to enjoy after a fine meal, surrounded by the laughter of friends and family, while sitting out on the porch as the evening turns to dusk.

ROSSVILLE UNION STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY VITAL STATS:

Category: Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey
Region: Lawrenceburg, IN
Distillery: DSP-IN-15016/23, Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP’s Consumer Facing Brand)
Mash Bill: unpublished
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: A blend of 4, 5 and 6 year old rye whiskies
# of Barrels Used for this Batch: 159
ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 26942
Price: $36.95 (Idaho, Spring 2022)

^{PERFECTING THE CRAFT SINCE 1847
It began in 1847 with a bold, satisfying taste that would make Indiana the rye capital of the world. For nearly 200 years, Lawrenceburg’s master distillers and blenders have been perfecting the original handcrafted rye blends in one of America’s last Prohibition-era distilleries. Rossville Union is a return to the golden age of rye with an authentic taste that could only come from Whiskey City.
_{— Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey}}

Learn more at Rossville Distillery.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the rye neat for this review.

Check out her review for this rye here!

ROSSVILLE UNION STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY NOSE:

Rossville Rye offers no alcohol to the nose. I sense dusty grain and fresh but subtle grape and white peach. The spices of powdered ginger, rye and allspice are faint as are the sweets of light vanilla, simple syrup and the aroma of sugar as it caramelizes. And while I do not get almond, I smell sweet white almond bark. The wood is faint here as well, and comes to my nose as light and dry oak. Yet this is earthy, like the freshness of a warm sidewalk with drops of new fallen rain. For me, this is quintessential rye.

ROSSVILLE UNION STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY PALATE:

The taste of Rossville Rye follows the aroma but with more complexity. It gives the mouth and tongue a little bite of warmth. The whiskey is herbal with dusty grain, some citrus zest and the flavors of nearly flat lemon-lime soda with peach. But something else too … I had to dig hard into my past until memories Muscat Canalli wine came forward. There is a little warmth from powdered ginger and sweetness from simple syrup but this is desert in a glass. I want more. Like on the nose, the influence of wood is faint as light dry toasted oak enhances the fresh petricor as it fades into the next sip.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Rossville Rye is one of the most well balanced ryes I have had the pleasure to enjoy. It is at once smooth, smooth, simple and gentle, easy to hold, yet can give the mouth a tickling reminder of its 47 ABV. As I peer into the glass after each sip, a thick curtain of liquid falls to the russet colored pool, leaving behind many long lasting droplets.

ROSSVILLE UNION STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY FINISH:

Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey offers a short to medium long warm finish. There are a few faint floral notes and citrus flavors which remind me of Muscat wine, but the ginger and rye spice sensed on the nose and palate are but a fleeting memory. There is a touch of dry toasted oak here, but this rye’s freshness wins me over. And when the last drops downed, the empty Glencairn smells of sweet, fresh cut oak.

MY RATING: 88/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

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WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Hannah’s Rossville Union Straight Rye Review

Original review written April 19, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This is a dessert rye with complexity, and at the price tier, it’s one I intend to keep in the bunker. Peaches, cherries, oak, and rye freshness make for a great combination. 93/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA
– Distiller: Lux Row Distillery/Ross & Squibb Distillery
– Classification: Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey (159 barrels used for this batch)
– Age: A blend of 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old rye whiskeys
– Mash Bill: unpublished
– Casks: unpublished char
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 47% (94 proof)
– Price: $36.95 USD in Idaho 2022

Visit www.rossvilleunion.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:

I picture strawberries and cream and linen to go with Rossville Union. This is sweet and enjoyable and bright and the epitome of summer. Get some ripe berries, mix with maybe some straight cream or perhaps vanilla ice cream if the day is warm. You don’t even have to look around you – you know that everything is in bloom, and everything looks beautiful. The freshness of clean linen only makes the day more complete and lets you enjoy those strawberries and this rye to the fullest.

Photo by Deva Williamson on Unsplash

NOSE:

Traditional rye brightness and freshness exudes from the glass, founded off of the grain, but also earth and the smell of rain (petrichor). Fruits are sparse, but deep inhales can coax out white-fleshed peaches and granny smith apples that contribute a tartness to the nose. Any kind of sugary sweetness is also limited; however, there is barely-there white chocolate, light vanilla bean (think ice cream), and simple syrup. Spices like white pepper, rye, and a pinch of allspice make the nose livelier and add a necessary complexity to this otherwise, simpler nose. The alcohol is incredibly mild, and I’m not convinced that it could bite at all. Nevertheless, I find myself liking this nose and I am looking forward to what the palate will bring.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Smooth – very, very smooth. There’s oiliness and viscosity that keep me going back for sip after sip.
– Balance: The freshness of the rye combined with the dessert quality of this whiskey make it very balanced, complex and thoroughly enjoyable.
– Visual: Russet in color, this falls first in a curtain of long legs from the rim of the Glencairn, only to eventually separate into many clinging droplets that just will not disappear.

– Taste: Wood and bitter citrus zest greet me first on the palate, contrary to many of the scents from the nose. It’s followed by light caramel, the white peaches from the nose, and Rainer cherries that both brighten and deepen the flavor. There’s even a white wine element that makes the pour pop and go well with the peach. Like prosecco even. The palate is much sweeter than the ryes I’ve enjoyed before and coupled with the freshness that makes a rye a rye, this makes it a welcome pour. It’s summery and smooth and an easy sipper all around. Though there may not be an abundance of flavor, the flavors that are here are uncommon and unique. They turn this simple pour into something quite complex and distinct from its rye peers.

The alcohol remains mild and approachable, and a Kentucky chew makes the cherry explode and the dessert component of this rye grows exponentially, with the alcohol not being overbearing in the slightest. What an enjoyable pour.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long. The warmth sits on the palate for much longer than I’d expect and there’s even a pleasant aftertaste as well to join it.
– Between Sips: Cherries linger the longest between sips; however, there are definite wood chips as well, soaked in peach syrup to make them logged in sweetness that is beyond tempting to chew.

– No More: This stays consistent the further I get into the glass, if not more enjoyable. It’s sweet, easy to sip, and fresh all at once. What’s not to like?

The empty Glencairn is a warm, sweet oak – more of those soaked wood chips, and it is absolutely delicious.

WORTH THE PRICE?

At under $40, absolutely this is worth the price. This falls easily into a great value category, and it will be one that I look to keep on my shelf even more than some of the other ryes that I enjoy. This has complexity, sweetness, freshness, and at this price, it’s impossible to not want to try to out. I’m only sorry it took so long for me to purchase a bottle.

ROSSVILLE UNION STRAIGHT RYE REVIEW RATING: 93/100

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