What on earth could be better than a dog in a collar and tie? A dog that dresses for business as he sets out to free all the dogs in the neighborhood who look like they may want to help him run a muck–that’s what. Recently Ailea, a TikTok user uploaded a video talking about a dog in her neighborhood trying to start a cult with the other dogs.
Ailea has two dogs of her own which is how she came to notice the dapper dog. But it wasn’t until she was attempting to get an explanation from the furry dog boss that she realized he had a neighborhood operation going on.
“I see that he’s wearing a tie. Very distinguished. So I’m like, cool. I’m going to go out front and I’m going to talk to this dog, have a rational conversation with this dog in a tie,” Ailea says. “Maybe find out where he lives, help him find his way home, you know that sort of thing.”
That’s when the story takes a bit of a turn. As she’s attempting to reason with the dog so she can get his address or human’s number, an angry woman stops her car to give the dog a piece of her mind. The woman yells at the dog to go home after questioning what he was doing. When Ailea asked the woman if it was her dog, she revealed the well dressed dog’s not so secret, secret.
“No, but he keeps coming to my house and opening the gate and letting my dogs out to roam the neighborhood with him,” the woman explains to Ailea. “He does this to everybody’s dog. He just lets them out and lets them roam the neighborhood with him.”
Fair warning, the neighbor’s confrontation with the dog does have adult language included but it’s not until the second video that you get the see the well-dressed canine up close.
I’ll buy whatever this well dressed dog is selling. #mlm #cult #dog #travelingsalesman #takemymoney
Ailea doesn’t have an issue with her own dogs getting out because she keeps her gate locked, other neighbors are not so lucky. But how could anyone be angry at a dog in a tie just looking for buddies to burn off some energy with? Hopefully whoever the dapper pup belongs to reminds him that he has to ask permission before going on playdates in the future.
Below you’ll find a list of health and fitness-based gifts — from dynamic training tech to state-of-the-art recovery modalities — that are perfect for the wellness and health-focused person in your life. They span all price ranges because when you’re talking about a change of lifestyle, no amount of improvement is too small… or too big. Sure, companies can sometimes overpromise, but that’s why we test everything thoroughly.
Every item featured today has been properly road-tested by the crew here at Uproxx over the span of months, not just a few hours. If we didn’t love it we wouldn’t include it. Period.
Check out the game-changing gear below. You might just decide to treat yourself to an item or two as you shop!
GR1 GORUCK BACKPACK
Courtesy
Price: $335
The Company Line:
GR1 — built to thrive in Baghdad and NYC — has proven itself the world over. That’s why any change, any modification of any kind is a huge deal to us, requiring extensive testing and a strong why. We have now updated GR1 — our flagship rucksack, Built in the USA — and this is our first significant update to GR1. You’re going to like it better because it’s even more versatile now, no matter how you plan to use it. And we hope you use it hard, and all over the world. Proven to Special Forces standards, GR1 is synonymous with the best of American Manufacturing. Each GR1 is built to last and comes with our Scars Lifetime Guarantee.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
In today’s on-the-go environment, there’s no gift more practical or useful than a great backpack. But let’s be honest, practicality isn’t exactly what you want in a great gift. The GR1 may look like any old backpack, but in reality it’s also an awesome piece of training equipment. Rucking, the practice of carrying weight in a pack for long distances, has long been used by the military as a fitness test. This bag is specially designed with pouches where you can put weight plates to turn it into proper rucking equipment.
Give your friend or family the coolest backpack in the room with the GR1.
Hailed as King of the upper-body workout, the chin-up and pull-up will catapult your biceps, back, and shoulders into the next dimension. Uniquely engineered parallel and angled hand grips allow countless hand positions for targeting of specific muscles. The only wall mounted multi-grip chin-up rack available with knurled hand grips to assist in providing a sure grip, even during the most intensive workouts. Unlike other units which are bolted together, the support frame of the XM-9025 is welded together making this unit solid.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
For anyone who has put up a pull-up bar in their own home, there is always a lingering fear that the unit is going to get ripped out the wall and leave you getting injured. That’s why this bar is the right pick. As the product description says, the frame is welded together so that there is extra confidence in the piece while you are pushing (or pulling) yourself to the limit. The other bonus to this piece is the multiple grips available to that you can work out several different muscle groups in your arms and back.
Designed for a combination of versatility and comfort, the adjustable angle expands up to 90 degrees, accommodating a plethora of workouts. It showcases 9 backrest, 4 seat, and 4 leg-hold-bar position adjustments. The workout bench boasts an exceptional weight capacity of up to 1000 lb. Constructed with superior heavy-duty commercial-grade steel from our 2023 upgrade and featuring a unique triangular support structure with a widened base, this bench ensures the utmost safety of users. The build quality not only adds to its durability but also ensures impressive stability, minimizing wobbling during workouts. Our incline bench features an exclusive dragon flag handle design, offering a unique way to target your abdominal and arm muscles further enhancing your workout. This feature adds remarkable value to our press bench.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
If you’ve been to a gym before, you know how difficult it can be to snag a bench. So why not give the gift of a sturdy bench that is available 24/7?
Paired with a couple of dumbbells or a barbell, the bench can offer a variety of exercises to put muscle mass on the upper body. This is another piece of gear that you are going to want to buy on the sturdy side, because it’s meant to handle your body weight plus free weight. The specialized handles also give the chance to work out the core with leg-ups.
The Kane Revive is made with RestoreFoam, created from Brazilian sugarcane. A renewable resource, sugarcane helps reduce greenhouse gases by capturing CO2 as it grows. Kane’s unique RestoreFoam provides the ideal balance of cushioning and support to help the body renew. A transformative, sustainably designed injection molded sneaker for active recovery.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
These recovery shoes are much more stylish than other options on the market, and they were created in collaboration with a sports podiatrist, so the science behind them is sound.
Coming from a running shoe mold, they also make fantastic travel shoes or leisure shoes. The excellent breathability makes them that much more comfortable after a sweaty workout or run. There are several colorways, so you can pick one perfect for your loved one. If your giftee happens to be a college football fan, they just released a NCAA collection featuring schools like the Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide.
LinkBuds S are smaller and lighter than other noise-canceling earbuds. Silicone earbud tips provide a comfortable fit that stays in place. With LinkBuds S, you’re always connected. Wear them comfortably around the clock, staying in touch with people and places without having to pause your playlist. When you are ready to tune out the noise, LinkBuds S offers premium noise canceling to help you focus on your favorite playlist or podcast. Link your worlds as LinkBuds S switches seamlessly between superlative noise canceling and natural ambient sound. Smart features and settings learn from your behavior and automatically adjust sound settings to provide the right sound for the moment.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
These Bluetooth headphones are super low profile and super light, which makes them easy to carry around or have in the ear. They fit tight and don’t have protruding pieces like other headphones. They are also able to connect to multiple devices at a time, so for people who want to go from their training to checking their voicemail on another device, it’s super simple.
The long battery life is also a plus, and anyone who’s had their headphones die mid-workout knows there’s no bigger vibe killer.
The Venom Go by Hyperice is a revolutionary heat and vibration wearable with unmatched versatility and customization. Choose from nine combinations of heat and vibration to soothe sore muscles in an instant. Place the Venom Go wherever your body needs it most and remove it with ease. Venom Go brings the same innovation athletes and everyday wellness enthusiasts have loved from the Venom line into a wearable that can be applied anywhere on the body. Heat and vibration spot treatment to loosen and relax muscles stress and tension has never been more convenient – the magic of Venom is ready to go anywhere.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
There’s something special about giving people the ability to treat those random aches and pains that pop up and can tank a training routine. This unit can be put on any part of the body, and soothe soreness no spa appointment is required. It delivers healing vibration and heat directly to the area causing pain. The low profile piece is light and can worn while knocking out chores or just watching shows on the couch. The battery life is long enough to give a full hour of treatment on the move.
The Ultra takes the essence of the nutribullet you know and love and advances it forward, refining its design with 1200 watts of power, an intuitive illuminated interface, and enhanced blade durability. It’s engineered to produce sound at a lower frequency than previous models, making it our quietest single-serve blender yet, and its Tritan Renew blending cups bring sustainable strength to the table. It’s sleek, it’s powerful, and it delivers the highest quality blends, time after time.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
The blenders from nutribullet are a game changer and have been for years. This new model is a strong upgrade from previous versions, which means that no matter what your friends or family have, this is a level up. For people who don’t have a smoothie maker in their life, you will be giving them the gift of healthy, fresh smoothies made in minutes.
It could not be easier to use these units or easier to clean them for the next round.
Ice Shaker Bottles are made from premium, kitchen-grade stainless steel that will not absorb odors or stains. They are also are double-wall vacuum insulated to prevent condensation from building up on the outside of the bottle, keeping your water ice cold for more than 30 hours. Ice Shaker’s Shaker Bottles come with a patented, noise-free agitator that twists onto the bottom and ensures a perfectly blended drink every time. The convenient carry handle built into the lid makes this cup easy to carry when your hands are full. Take your Ice Shaker anywhere you go!
Why They’re Great Gifts:
These bottles are perfect for keeping healthy beverages and water nearby at all times. Odds are a lot of people have blender or water bottles, but not as strong or sleek as the Ice Shaker. There’s a reason it’s become a fast favorite amongst athletes and performed well on the market after appearing on Shark Tank. The tapered bottom makes it easy to fit your shaker into most cup holders, which isn’t as standard as you’d like to think. Their noise-free blender ball makes it possible to mix a drink without that annoying clang that usually comes with making a shake.
The SMRTFT adjustable dumbbells are the most innovative offerings of their kind on the market. They feature the convenience of all-in-one adjustable pieces that can range between 5-50 pounds depending on the setting. They have superior durability thanks to their machined steel-weight plates. Complete with a knurled handle and pancake-style disks, they feel like a heavy-duty barbell that you would find at most commercial weightlifting gyms.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
Dumbbells of an adjustable nature became quite the commodity over the last few years as everyone started to build their home gyms. Not only are they space savers for people who don’t want to make room for a whole dumbbell rack, but they are also cost-efficient, given the fewer materials needed. These are great options, well-made, and sleek-looking for those who want a sharper aesthetic in the workspace.
Since your giftee may be stuck in the house this season due to the frigid temperatures, this brings the gym to them.
CastleFlexx is a patented upper and lower-body stretching and strengthening device. It is the ONLY device in the world that does not give you rope burn. Unlocks your lower back by addressing the root cause of back pain by releasing the tightness in your legs and hips. This product can be used any time of the day for all purposes. It is great for a pre-workout stretch, post-workout long stretch, or for a midday mobility session. It is versatile and easy to roll up and carry around to help you achieve your flexibility, strength, and mobility goals.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
My absolute obsession with flexibility might be the oldest thing about me, but I’m not gonna change. Mobility and flexibility are crucial and the second you stop focusing on them, your body starts to tighten up (most studies say that your body is trying to become less flexible by the time you hit 22). I love the CastleFlexx because it’s so intuitive. These days, when I think about getting fitness equipment, the first thought is “Will I have to watch a YouTube tutorial to figure out how this works?”
CastleFlexx is simple and portable and — call me a nerd if you want but — it comes with me just about everywhere. Yes, I’m totally that guy stretching his calves between pickup games at the park. In short, I am very into these and have seen results with a quickness.
The funeral for Pogues singer Shane MacGowan, who died last week at 65 years old, was held on Friday at St. Mary’s Of The Rosary Church in (where else?) Ireland. Attendees include Bono, Johnny Depp, and Nick Cave, who performed “A Rainy Night In Soho.” Father John Gilbert called MacGowan “a poet, lyricist, singer, trailblazer” who “reflected life as lived in our time, calling out accepted norms that oftentimes appear unacceptable.”
The most chilling moment of the funeral came when Glen Hansard, of Once fame, and singer-songwriter Lisa O’Neill covered MacGowan’s masterpiece, “Fairytale Of New York.” It provided “a moment for mourners to clap and cheer as they celebrated the singer’s greatest work,” according to Sky News. MacGowan went so far as to call it the Pogues’ “Bohemian Rhapsody” (the boyfriend and boyfriend’s brother of a certain pop star would agree).
You can watch the cover below.
Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill performed “Fairytale of New York” to close Shane MacGowan’s funeral today.pic.twitter.com/bG7mCSusmC
Pogues band member and “Fairytale Of New York” co-writer Jem Finer discussed the song’s origin in a 1988 interview with NME. “I had written two songs complete with tunes,” he said. “One had a good tune and crap lyrics, the other had the idea for ‘Fairytale’ but the tune was poxy, I gave them both to Shane and he gave it a Broadway melody, and there it was.”
Maine is, in reality, a place. But in theory, it’s the main character in most of Stephen King‘s novels, probably because it seems like a mystical place with big trees and nobody minds that the town is filled with ghost clowns or a demonic Skarsgard (I have actually never been to Maine). But Maine, and Derry in particular, is the setting for a handful of King’s novels, like It, the worst title since the invention of SEO.
Welcome To Derry is Max’s upcoming prequel series based on the It franchise. It will be a direct prequel to 2017’s It and 2019’s It Chapter Two, starring Jaeden Martell, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard and — you’ll never believe it–the same Skarsgard! But in a different role. If you are not familiar with It (or learned just how hard it is to look up It) then here is a quick rundown.
In Derry, Maine, where kids often go missing, a group of pre-teens nicknamed “The Losers Club” are stalked by an evil clown/being while also facing their own inner demons, like puberty. The prequel is being developed by Andy Muschietti, who directed the two films based on King’s novel. The first installment covers the first half of the book, while Chapter Two brings in the adults, played by James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and Jessica Chastin, and of course, our demon friend Pennywise/Bill Skarsgard.
Now that you’re up to speed, here is everything we know about Welcome To Derry, which is not a Derry Girls sequel, unfortunately.
Plot
Even though Welcome to Derry takes place in the Stephen King-verse, King actually hasn’t written an It prequel, so this one isn’t based on a book. While we don’t have many details, according to Variety, the prequel will take place in the ’60s and tell the origin story of Pennywise the Clown and wherever he got that silly little outfit.
Cast
The confirmed cast includes Madeleine Stowe, Stephen Rider Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar.
Release Date
The series initially had a Halloween 2024 release date, though it seems that has changed. Earlier this month, HBO confirmed that the show would be pushed to 2025, alongside The White Lotus. We do know that the first two episodes will be directed by Muschietti, so he is pretty familiar with the Derry area and all of its haunted inhabitants.
Trailer
While there has been no official trailer, HBO included a first look at the series in the 2024 preview, even though it will likely premiere in 2025…one can dream! From the first look trailer, you can see that Derry is still the number one place for red balloon sales in the US. You can watch below:
Today (December 8) is Nicki Minaj’s day. It’s her birthday. It’s Pink Friday 2release day. The Barbz are thriving in Gag City, and Cardi B’s fans are happily raining on their parade. Clearly, they didn’t get the memo from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift that powerful women don’t have to be pitted against each other.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), #WeWantCardi is trending. There are several potential reasons as to why that is trending. First, stanning is a full-time job. But also, Cardi B still hasn’t dropped her follow-up to 2018’s Invasion Of Privacy, and patience is running thin.
Why Is ‘We Want Cardi’ Trending On Twitter?
An initial cursory scroll through the #WeWantCardi trending topic would suggest that the Bardigang are relishing in the perception that Pink Friday 2 is “flopping” (their word, not mine). Some are claiming that Invasion Of Privacy is superior to Pink Friday 2 — and Cardi, the superior rapper — going out of their way to stream Invasion Of Privacy and (seemingly) prevent Pink Friday 2 from ascending the charts, or at least revive Invasion Of Privacy so Cardi is right next to Minaj on the charts.
According to the X fan account @CardiBCaviar, the goal was to “bring Invasion Of Privacy to No. 1 on iTunes,” and as of this writing, it had reentered the top 10 in the US (per Chart Data). See some of the posts below.
So proud of Bardigang, we really did that without Cardi even being active nor asking us to do any of that. It’s true love and true talent that always wins #InvasionOfPrivacy#WEWANTCARDI
David Letterman has joked about how he wishes he could be The National’sMatt Berninger. But for a spell, Berninger had a hard time being himself: During a sit down with the former late-night host, Berninger opened up about his battle with depression.
As the pair sat down to discuss the band’s latest bodies of work (First Two Pages of Frankenstein and Laugh Track), Letterman posed the question, “Which of the albums represents your state of depression?”
“Well, the two records that we put out this year were started as songs around the same time. It was about a year into the pandemic and the shutdown where I went into even more of a depression. I wasn’t writing at all, but [the band] kept sending lots of music [over]. I don’t think they realized quite how debilitated I was. I also didn’t tell them how bad it was,” replied Berninger.
The musician has spoken and written about his mental health at great length. However, in their chat, he revealed that during the COVID-19 lockdown, he had a breakthrough.
“I was hard to be around,” he said. “I didn’t want to do anything. At first everyone was relieved because I kind of been manic for a long time doing a lot of projects. I was burning out. I was spinning out. So when the lockdown happened and everything shut down, when I had to put down a lot of projects, there was a phase in that when it was a huge relief. Everything slowing down was good for a long while. Then, after a little while without getting together with the band, and without getting out to do any touring, without actually getting together in the studio that and putting down all those other projects, I started to feel like, I don’t know if this is ever going to come back and I don’t know if I even want to come back because that state I was in before I wasn’t really that happy.
Watch the conversation between Berninger and Letterman above.
Earlier this week, Barbie writer/director Greta Gerwig gave fans hope that there could be another Barbie movie after star Margot Robbie shut down talk of a sequel. During an interview with 60 Minutes, Gerwig tipped her hand that she and her writing partner/husband Noah Baumbach might be working on a Ken spinoff. Realizing they may have said too much, the couple quickly clammed up, and Ryan Gosling had a similar response when asked about the project.
The actor and Barbie co-star America Ferrara were on-hand for an event at the London’s BFI Southbank where they noticeably ducked a fan question about a future Barbie movie.
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere near that,” Gosling said. “We really know nothing.”
Ferrara gave a similar response and even referred back to Robbie’s previous comments. However, she couldn’t resist teasing a Ken spinoff as well.
“We have no information,” Ferrera added. “I will say, what Greta and Margot have said is they did not set out to make a franchise. They put it all out on the table. Every bit of it that they loved and that they knew to do, they did. Which is refreshing, right? We’re not setting it up for 20 years of ‘Barbie’ movies. But then again, I know nothing, so there might be 20 years [of ‘Barbie’]… or a Ken spinoff?”
Realizing his Ken return is looking more and more inevitable, Gosling made one request.
“Can it be a husky Ken?” Gosling joked. “Can I play Husky Ken, like Sandwich Ken? Can I play that Ken next time?”
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading to the inaugural In-Season Tournament finals. Los Angeles ran the New Orleans Pelicans off the floor in Las Vegas on Thursday night, 133-89, behind a ridiculous performance from LeBron James. In only 23 minutes of work, James put up 30 points on 9-for-12 shooting with eight assists and five rebounds, operating in total control of his environment to earn a matchup with the high-flying Indiana Pacers on Saturday evening.
Not only was James getting the job done on offense, James put his body on the line on defense, as the soon-to-be 39-year-old took multiple charges on the evening.
It’s not often that you see older dudes put their body on the line like this, and after the games, James got asked why, exactly, he’s letting someone as big and physical as Zion Williamson bowl him over. The answer — and this will not be surprising for anyone who is aware of how famously cheap James is — revolves around money.
“I mean, listen, man,” James said when asked if he’s too old to take charges. “Not for that $500,000, I ain’t.”
As Giannis Antetokounmpo learned earlier this week, players win money based on how far their team advances in the Tournament. So far, James has accrued $50,000 for making the quarters, $100,000 for making the semis, and $200,000 for making the final. The winning team on Saturday will take home an additional $500,000 for each player.
On November 6, Nicki Minaj noticed #LetMeCalmDown was trending on X (formerly known as Twitter) asked her Barbz to weigh in on who she should recruit to feature on the then-unreleased song. “It needs to be a spitter,” she wrote. “A rapper rapper.” Fast forward to this morning, December 8, and Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 is finally here — with “Let Me Calm Down” featuring J. Cole, who definitely qualifies as a rapper rapper.
How Did Nicki Minaj And J. Cole’s ‘Let Me Calm Down’ Come Together?
In a post-Elon Musk buying Twitter world, Minaj had enough room to write a very detailed post about the moving pieces behind “Let Me Calm Down.” See it below.
“Hey- thank u guys for posting.
This man J. Cole had a 2 hour talk with me. 2. Two!!!! Didn’t realize I was sitting on a therapist couch but ummm 2 days later I heard this verse & couldn’t stop crying.
The end.
In a world where we know EXACTLY how & WHEN to tear each other apart, there are still Kings & Queens who know how to put ppl back together. Patch them up. Heal them. Empower them. Understand them. Listen to them. Make them do the most beautiful thing a human being can do.
Smile.
After having #papabear I couldn’t wait for the day he’d smile @ me. First smile? It was one day when I blew a kiss @ him. I said ‘papa mmuuuaahhhhh!!!!’ then? Time froze. Froze. He smiled? He smiled. At Me? Looking directly in my eyes? Yes.
Me? Held back the tears & just kept doing a billion more times. I cried later.
I’ve been trying to make him smile every day since…lol he actually makes me crack up laughing all the time. No idea where he got all that personality from but y’all pray for me
Anyway,
Cole…
It’s been a long time coming, but the barbz welcome you with open arms to #GagCity
We appreciate you.
We hope you stay [fingers crossed emoji]
#PinkFriday2
#LetMeCalmDown”
Hey- thank u guys for posting.
This man J. Cole had a 2 hour talk with me. 2. Two!!!! Didn’t realize I was sitting on a therapist couch but ummm 2 days later I heard this verse & couldn’t stop crying.
American rye whiskey has had a true renaissance over the past few years. About a decade ago, the genre was dominated by one style — Indiana 95/5 rye, as seen in bottles like Bulleit Rye. There were niche ryes still being made in Kentucky by Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, and Jim Beam (alongside crafties here and there) but the style was overall very narrow — and nowhere near the heydays of the 1950s, 1920s, or 1890s, much less the dominance the style had in the 1700s.
Today, everyone is making a rye yet again — or at least it feels like it. That makes listing the 50 best American rye whiskeys of 2023 a fun and increasingly wide-ranging task. This year gave us a true bounty of great whiskeys to choose from — so I’m ranking them below!
For this year’s list of best American rye whiskeys (rye whiskey is a Central European whiskey style and is having a huge resurgence in places like Germany right now too), I’m choosing bottles that I’ve had the pleasure of sampling throughout the year. I’m lucky enough to get to try a lot — over 2,000 whiskeys this year alone — and love rye whiskey in general. So I seek out the new stuff as much as I can. That means each of the whiskeys below is new to 2023 in that they were either released for the first time this year or are 2023 batches of well-known releases. I’ve left out any Canadian rye whiskeys that are bottled by American blenders/bottlers though. That leaves out a big swath of brands like WhistlePig, Preservation, and Uncle Nearest.
As for the ranking, the variation in quality is nil — these are allwell-made rye whiskeys. The variation in depth, nuance, and beauty is a little wider between numbers 50 and 1. My advice is to read my tasting notes, find the whiskey(s) that speak to you, and then hit that price link to see if you can snag a bottle for your bar cart. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top Five Rye Whiskey Posts from the Last Six Months on UPROXX
The base of this new Bonded whiskey is Jack’s signature rye whiskey with a mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley fermented with their own yeast and lactobacillus. The juice is then twice distilled via column stills and then slowly filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. That filtered whiskey then rests in a barrel for four long years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe peaches, bananas, and Granny Smith apples lead on the nose with a light sense of molasses winter ginger cakes, a touch of cinnamon bark, and light hints of dry sweetgrass that’s just smoldering.
Palate: The taste leans into the toffee with a good dose of banana creaminess before veering toward roasting herbs and more sweetgrass braided with cedar bark, pipe tobacco, and smudging sage.
Finish: The end warms up just enough with banana bread cut with dried ancho chili layered into light dark chocolate tobacco leaves and more of that sweetgrass.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the most important releases of the year in that it’s a) widely available, b) amazingly well-priced, and c) goddamn tasty. Overall, this is the rye that you want to mix your simple at-home cocktails with. It’ll shine brightly in any concoction.
This is a very local New York whiskey. The mash uses grains grown in New York before the juice is distilled and aged at the craft distillery. The whiskey ages for four years before batching, proofing, and barreling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This whiskey opens with a nose full of lemon and cumin with a dose of vanilla and pepper.
Palate: The palate is cinnamon candy forward with vanilla tobacco and lemon pepper mingling with a hint of old oak staves and maybe some sour cherry.
Finish: The end is light but spicy with a rush of dried fruits and sweet brown sugars.
Bottom Line:
This year’s Great Jones batch dialed in the flavor notes and shines as a great cocktail base, especially in sours.
48. 291 All Rye 100% Rye Malt Colorado Whiskey Finished with Aspen Wood Staves
This Colorado whiskey is made with a 100% rye mash bill — 50% Colorado malted rye (from Root Shoot Malting) and 50% German rye malt — on a bespoke still. The hot juice is then aged in new oak with signature toasted aspen wood staves added to help refine the aging process. Finally, the barrels were batched and bottled 100% as-is, yielding only 1,000 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with dark fruit leather, dark black tea leaves, cinnamon bark, and a fistful of dry dill and marjoram with a whisper of salted caramel sweetness.
Palate: The palate has a grainy cinnamon toast vibe next to more of that dark black tea with a hint of clove-spiced plum jam, freshly cracked black pepper, and more of that salted caramel.
Finish: The plumminess drives the finish with a hint of cracked almond shell and dark dill next to fresh flat-leaf parsley and a touch of sweet-sour cherry packed in sawdust.
Bottom Line:
This Colorado crafty is grainy and bold AF. Pour this over a big rock to let it bloom in the glass and highlight those creamy caramel notes.
47. J. Rieger’s Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond Spring 2023
This Kansas City rye is made with a local mash bill of 96% rye and 4% malted barley (just a notch off the classic 95/5 rye/barley of the mainstream). The whiskey was left to mellow for six years in Kansas City before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a light nose that eventually opens up toward candied orange, old book leather, and sourdough apple fritters next to a hint of green grass in the summer and nasturtiums.
Palate: Hints of old oak pop on the palate as those apple fritters take on a lot of cinnamon before cherries dipped in chocolate lead toward a creamy sense of butter and maybe some marmalade.
Finish: Smudging sage warms the end with a hint of Almond Joy and sesame honey crackers over cedar tobacco.
Bottom Line:
Kansas City is becoming a whiskey destination! This rye is a classic American rye with a nice fruity spiced vibe that works wonders in whiskey-forward cocktails or on the rocks on a slow weekday.
This new rye whiskey from Old Ezra, which usually focuses on bourbons, is a seven-year-old rye blend. The whiskey is a batch of barrels from a 51% rye whiskey and a classic 95% rye that aged for seven long years before bottling at full proof with charcoal filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Hints of old leather and burnt citrus drive the nose toward fresh honey and vanilla cake with a hint of old oak and cellar funk.
Palate: The palate leans into the soft vanilla with a dash of burnt orange and leathery spice before some ABVs start buzzing on the tongue.
Finish: The end has a nice layer of orange and clove tobacco with a hint of old oak and vanilla honey cookies.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskeys that sneaks up on you. I actually finished this bottle (a rarity at my house) in cocktails this year, which means that this whiskey slaps. Try it in an old fashioned.
45. Rossville Union Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey 6 Years Old
This whiskey comes from MGP of Indiana’s Ross & Squibb Distillery. The mash is a very unique 51% rye and 49% malted barley mix. After at least four years of mellowing, the whiskey is small batched (only 3,000 bottles were filled), proofed, and bottled otherwise as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of wet parsley next to sweet malted chocolate shakes, rum raisins, and soft worn leather.
Palate: Salted caramel and light vanilla cream before dark leathery plum and date lead to woody spice and a hint of floral potpourri.
Finish: That floral vibe edges toward apple blossom and more dark chocolate with a hint of cinnamon sticks floating in hot apple cider with a hint of roasting herbs in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is another great cocktail whiskey. The chocolate and spice work well with the dark fruits to create a good Manhattan base.
44. Union Horse Distilling Co. Reunion Straight Rye Whiskey
This Missouri whiskey is all about local to the point that even the barrels are hyper-local — a perk of making whiskey near one of the biggest sources of oak in the country. The whiskey is made with a mash of 100% local rye grown in Missouri. That whiskey then goes into a special Missouri oak barrel that was seasoned outside for 24 months before being toasted and charred specifically for this whiskey. Those rye barrels were then batched, proofed with local water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a classic sense of rye bread with plenty of dill and caraway front and center that gives way to dark powdery chocolate, roasted almonds, toffee, and a touch of candied orange with this nice layer of nostalgic backyard on a summer day vibes.
Palate: That summer grassiness carries on through the palate as blueberry pie and vanilla cake mingle with a hint of salted caramel, more of that herbal rye bread, and a twist from a pepper mill over old boot leather.
Finish: The end sweetens with the caramel and vanilla as black licorice, stewed blueberry, and spiced winter cakes play with a nice sense of fresh herb gardens in the sun.
Bottom Line:
Missouri is popping off right now in the American whiskey scene. This rye is a great example of Missouri craftsmanship with wonderful depth and versatility that makes it great for mixing your favorite cocktails.
43. Nashville Barrel Company Hand Selected Straight Rye Whiskey Cask Strength
This whiskey is made from an extremely small batch of Indiana rye with a mash of 95/5 (rye/malted barley). The handful of barrels in the mix was around six years old when blended by the team at Nashville Barrel Company. Beyond that, this was bottled as-is with zero fussing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a soft, cherry-froward nose with hints of old boot leather, apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, and black tea leaves with a hint of star anise and clove soaked in a hot toddy.
Palate: The palate is thick and juicy with cherry vanilla spiced holiday cake — heavy on the dark cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg — with a hint of orange creamsicle that fades towards a singed herbaceous note almost like burnt caraway or coriander seeds.
Finish: The end packs on the warmth with a spicy tobacco buzz full of dark cherry and woody winter spices.
Bottom Line:
The team at Nashville Barrel Company has this magic touch when selecting barrels for their releases that just … perfection. Even if you can’t get this exact bottle, any single-barrel rye from NBC will be a showstopper.
Buzzard’s Roost is a female-led Kentucky bottler. The whiskey in this bottle is double-casked rye from Indiana (MGP’s famed 95/5 rye). After four years of resting, the rye whiskey is re-barreled into new American oak that was toasted and then smoked instead of charred for a final maturation rest before blending and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is rich and full of nutty banana bread brimming with cinnamon and cardamom next to salted caramel and moist vanilla cake kissed with tart cherry and a pinch of dark chocolate.
Palate: The palate leads off with a hint of burnt orange that sweetens towards marmalade with more of that vanilla and caramel accented by a campfire-singed marshmallow.
Finish: The end has a light smudged sage vibe that circles back to that nutty and spicy banana bread with a buttery softness.
Bottom Line:
This is a special rye that deserves your time as a slow sipper before cocktail experimentation.
41. Old Potrero Single Barrel Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey
This whiskey is a bit of a throwback with a West Coast vibe. The juice is 100% rye whiskey made at Hotaling & Co. in Potrero Hill, one of San Francisco’s most iconic spots for booze. As of this year, the spirit is being distilled on the waterfront in San Francisco but still carries that Anchor Brewing heritage (RIP). With that move, the bottle also got a brand new design that leans into San Francisco’s sea-faring history.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Molasses heavy bran muffins mingle with dry cinnamon sticks, Granny Smith apple skins, and Red Hots next to rum-raisin and a twinge of an old oak stave and craft grain porridge with a caramelized edge.
Palate: The palate leans into ginger snaps with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg next to vanilla pudding right out of the cup and a dry sense of cedar kindling.
Finish: The end holds onto the dry woodiness with a layer of salted caramel raisins, sweet porridge, and vanilla candy on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent example of the great work going on in California craft distilling right now. While I like this with fruity cocktails (especially apple and peach with citrus), it works just as well over a rock as a sipper.
This new rye is from award-circuit darling Southern Distilling Company in North Carolina. The whiskey is made from a low-rye mash of 51% rye, 39% corn, and 10% malted barley. The whiskey then ages for at least four years before it’s batched and proofed to bottled-in-bond strength (100-proof) for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a medley of winter spices — clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, anise — that leads to a mixed berry jam with a touch of salted butter over rye toast next to dark cherry leatheriness.
Palate: The vanilla opens the palate with creaminess as the winter spices adhere to the dark berries and build a sort of berry crumble vibe next to woody dryness.
Finish: That woodiness drives the finish toward more winter spice, a hint of that rye toast, and more berries with a deep earthiness — think rich black potting soil — on the very end.
Bottom Line:
Southern Distilling is on fire right now and this rye release is fuel for that fire. Pour this over rocks or in a cocktail and you’ll be all set.
39. Scarlet Shade Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 14 Years
The new Orphan Barrel from Diageo is a very rare release. The whiskey in the bottle is a 14-year-old rye that was distilled in Indiana and then left to age at the famed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Those barrels were batched and proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is a vanilla bomb with a sense of buttercream and salted caramel ice cream next to fresh dark berries, a hint of zucchini bread with walnuts and clove, and a mild sense of cedar cigar humidors.
Palate: The bark-heavy winter spices amp up on the palate as plums, peaches, and pears get stewed and lead to a sharp marmalade with a hint of salted dark chocolate-covered espresso beans next to coffee-laced tobacco with a whisper of black cherry.
Finish: The end leans into the spice and tobacco as the orchard fruit amps up with a deep vanilla cake base cut with real vanilla pods and a light sense of old oak staves in a dusty cellar with a dirt floor.
Bottom Line:
This one-off rye is worth tracking down for just a pour at a good whiskey bar. It’s tasty AF. If you do snag a bottle, try it in subtle whiskey-forward cocktails. The nutty dark fruity tobacco vibes are perfect for Sazeracs or Manhattans.
38. Chicken Cock Rum Barrel Rye Island Rooster Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
This collaboratively-distilled whiskey (at Bardstown Bourbon Company) from Chicken Cock is from 25 hand-picked four-year-old Kentucky straight rye casks (with a mash bill of 95/5). Those barrels were vatted and re-barreled in Caribbean rum casks for six more months of maturation. Finally, the whiskey was bottled with a touch of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a hint of sour orchard fruit next to fresh grains, light molasses sweetness (with a twinge of tannic oak) next to a mild dose of dried and woody chili pepper.
Palate: The palate starts off with a sour apple candy sweetness next to rum-soaked raisins with more of that tannic molasses, a good layer of vanilla creaminess, buttery toffee, and a dash of red peppercorns.
Finish: The end lets the butteriness of the toffee take over as crusty rye bread flour mixes with dark sugars.
Bottom Line:
Chicken Cock’s collab with Bardstown Bourbon Company has yielded some great work. This is a prime example of that and the beauty of rum barrel finishing. Pour this with your dessert course this winter.
37. Brother’s Bond Four-Grain Small-Batch American Blended Rye Whiskey
This new release from Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley’s Brothers Bond is their first foray into rye. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of their bourbon cut with a four-year-old 95/5 rye (rye/malted barley). The final product ends up being a 77% rye whiskey once batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark fruit leather, stewed peach, and salted caramel mingle with vanilla buttercream cut with toffee and winter spice syrups on the nose.
Palate: The palate opens with a hint of grilled pineapple and peach dosed in caramel sauce and hit with salt before dark winter spice cakes arrive with dates, prunes, and old nuts with plenty of clove and allspice that eventually leads to a hint of eggnog creaminess.
Finish: The spice gets barky on the backend as the finish drives toward old wicker furniture in sweetgrass on a summer’s day next to a mild chili-peach-infused chewing tobacco leaf.
Bottom Line:
This is a lovely dessert rye with a deep and dark fruity spiciness, making it perfect for holiday sipping or mixing.
36. Sagamore Spirit Port Finish Rye A Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys
The 2023 release of Sagamore’s iconic Port Finished Rye is another winner. The batch is made from six-year-old barrels. That whiskey was then re-barreled into port barrels from Boordy Vineyards (in Maryland) for another three years of rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright raspberries mingle with cherry pie, plum jam, and plenty of oaky winter spice on the nose with a thick layer of vanilla cream, pipe tobacco, and mild red chili spice.
Palate: Those raspberries take on a crumble vibe on the palate as thick layers of salted dark chocolate mingle with orange zest, vanilla buttercream, brandy-soaked dates and prunes, and more of that rich tobacco cut with winter spice.
Finish: The tobacco and winter spice peak on the finish with sharpness and oakiness before the dark fruits steer the end back toward lush vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is beloved whiskey for a reason, it’s really goddamn easygoing. While you can sip this over a rock easily, make a Manhattan with it.
35. Kentucky Owl Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 11 Years Limited Edition Bayou Mardi Gras XO Cask
The latest limited edition from Kentucky Owl celebrates Mardi Gras with a small release of rum-finished whiskey. The whiskey in the bottle is 11-year-old Kentucky straight rye that then spends another year in Bayou Rum XO casks from Louisiana.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a soft leatheriness on the nose with a sense of old rye bread, sweet butter, and winter spices layered into a vanilla cake.
Palate: The taste is on the sweeter end with dark cherry and stewed plum next to orange marmalade, allspice berries, creamy vanilla pudding, and a mild sense of dry and old herb gardens.
Finish: The lush end layers in that sweet butter and creamy vanilla with a sense of clove tobacco, sharp and spicy root beer, and lush eggnog with plenty of nutmeg.
Bottom Line:
It has to be said … if you’re going to buy one Kentucky Owl from 2023, this is the one to buy. It’s legitimately tasty rye with serious depth.
34. Pinhook Straight Rye Whiskey Vertical Series Rye Tiz Rye Time 7 Years Old
This rye whiskey is an experiment in curating Indiana MGP rye barrels (95/5 rye/barley) in Kentucky (at Castle & Key). The latest release is a batch of 28 Kentucky-aged barrels that are all seven years old. The rye was batched and bottled as-is to highlight the whiskey that came out of the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of black-tea-soaked and cinnamon-infused date-heavy sticky toffee pudding with a dollop of brandy butter that’s countered by a hint of grapefruit pith, soft suede, and Werther’s Originals.
Palate: The palate lets that leather get a little worn as the Werther’s get darker (almost burnt) and notes of black licorice ropes, clove buds, dry oak, and brandy-soaked raisins mingle.
Finish: The finish has a bit of a dry straw by way of a black pepper vibe that lingers on your senses for just the right amount of time, leaving you with a final note of gingersnaps.
Bottom Line:
This is a great sipping rye, especially over a big rock. And it’s a no-brainer purchase if you’re even remotely into horse racing.
This new release from Still Austin uses 100% Texas rye in its mash bill. That whiskey is then proofed and filled into barrels and left to mellow with water getting added over the years (so that water evaporates before the whiskey does). Finally, a few barrels are selected and bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with pure nostalgia — summertime back porch livin’ — with soft cherry pie, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, ginger rock candy, and a note of apricot jam over buttermilk biscuits.
Palate: A note of coffee cake opens the palate toward marzipan cut with pear brandy and a light sense of lemon cake drizzled with mint frosting.
Finish: The mint gets spice on the finish with a sense of candied ginger and brown winter spices before soft salted buttercream and cherries soaked in brandy round things out.
Bottom Line:
Still Austin is making the best rye in Texas right now. They’ve nailed it.
Beam just released a new permanent addition to the iconic Basil Hayden lineup. This newbie is a 100% malted rye whiskey that was left to age until just right. The best barrels were batched and proofed down to Basil Hayden’s necessary 80-proof for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You’re immediately greeted with spiced dill and soft caramel on the nose next to old oak, soft saddle leather, and a mild sense of rye toast with salted butter and a hint of floral honey.
Palate: Sweet and creamy vanilla arrives on the palate with a nice spice — clove, cinnamon, allspice — before soft sourdough rye bread with a whisper of caraway arrives.
Finish: Chili-spiced chocolate pops late on the palate with a sense of cinnamon toast and vanilla bean before a lush creaminess leads to spiced tobacco with a leatheriness on the end.
Bottom Line:
This is the most approachable whiskey on the list. Buy this for easygoing (the easiest) sipping and mixing.
31. Lost Lantern Single Cask Series Corbin Cash California Straight Rye Whiskey 7 Years Old
This new Lost Lantern Corbin Cash is a seven-year-old rye whiskey. The whiskey was made with 100% Merced rye grown by the Souza family specifically for this whiskey. After seven years of rest in a heavily charred barrel, the barrel was tapped by the Lost Lantern team and bottled 100% as-is, yielding only 146 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of walnut cake that edges toward zucchini bread with plenty of butter, brown spice, salt, and brown sugar on the nose with a light note of marzipan dipper in melon.
Palate: There’s this sense of sweet roots on the palate that leads back to the melon-laced marzipan, more of that nutcake, and a sense of spice barks dipped in syrupy mulled wine.
Finish: The end has a light grassiness that gives way to creamy floral honey, smudging sage, and a deep nuttiness tied to what almost feels like a moist carrot cake with vanilla frosting.
Bottom Line:
This is in the wind, so it’ll be hard to find now. But goddamn was this an amazing pour of whiskey. You’ll be in for a real rye-forward treat if you can find one.
30. Penelope Straight Rye Whiskey Heavy Toasted Barrel Finish
This is made with 100% Indiana rye whiskey. The whiskey was then re-barreled into fresh heavily toasted barrels (with a tiny bit of char) before batching and bottling with a touch of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a leathery sense of old winter spice barks, rich caramel, and vanilla pudding cut with butterscotch and orange rinds.
Palate: There’s a sense of singed marshmallows and dark orange zest on the palate that leans into hints of minty tobacco and cedar bark.
Finish: A hint of salted caramel and dark chocolate oranges drive the finish toward a soft old oakiness and a touch of smudging sage.
Bottom Line:
This is just a nice sipper. It also makes a mean old fashioned with a nice hint of firewood.
29. Filmland Spirits Presents Ryes of the Robots Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey The Extended Cut 2023 Batch
This new whiskey release blends Hollywood B-movies with sourced whiskey. The actual juice is a 95/5 (rye/malted barley) sourced whiskey from Kentucky. Beyond that, not much is known. However, there’s been an incredible amount of work on writing a script and drawing up storyboards around the beautifully designed release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a nice mix of dark berries and old leather next to cinnamon bark and clove berries with a hint of caramel before veering toward sheet cake and singed marshmallows.
Palate: The palate hits a mint chocolate chip vibe with a dash of black peppercorn before bright red berries floating in vanilla-laced cream lead the taste back toward smoldering marshmallows and a lot of woody winter spice.
Finish: Oak staves and cinnamon bark really peak on the finish next to very mild menthol tobacco just kissed with red berries and more of that creamy vanilla with a whisper of green grass lurking under it all.
Bottom Line:
The team at Filmland built a beautiful rye whiskey with this release. Take it slow, sip it, add some water or ice, and let it take you on a journey. Then mix it into your favorite cocktail.
28. Doc Swinson’s Whiskey Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey
This special bottling from out in Washington highlights Indiana rye. The whiskey in the bottles is a seven-year-old 95/5 (rye/malted barley) MGP rye whiskey. The barrels were batched and just proofed with water before botted-in-bond bottling in Washington state.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sticky toffee pudding with a lot of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and black tea drives the nose toward moments of black licorice, figs, rum-soaked raisin, and soft dill with a sweet edge.
Palate: Those raisins open the palate with a spicy sweetness before lush vanilla and caramel lead back to woody spice barks, burnt orange, and nutshells with a hint of plummy tobacco.
Finish: The end leans into the plumminess with a lush vibe that’s accented by old cedar kindling, smoldering smudging sage, and a sense of date and prune flesh.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that’s just straight-up delicious. It’s well-built, deeply hewn, and has an approachability that makes it easy to sip any ol’ day of the week.
27. BLACKENED X Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Finished in Madeira Casks
This new release from Metallica’s BLACKENED is a masterful collaboration with Willett. The rye is a blend of whiskeys that were aged around six or seven years (with one barrel up to eight years old) that are vatted and then finished in Madeira casks. After an undisclosed amount of time mellowing in those casks, the whiskey is then bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red berry sorbet explodes on the nose with a mix of ripe black cherry, raspberry, and blackberry with a hint of tart red currants, a touch of fresh mint, and maybe some woody cinnamon.
Palate: The palate takes on a savory strawberry-rhubarb note that leans into vanilla and butter white wine.
Finish: The end has a dark fruit leather vibe with a twinge of spiced cherry tobacco on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This has a wonderful balance of dark fruit and spice that just works. Pour it neat, on the rocks, on into your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail. And then put on some Metallica!
26. Grand Traverse Distillery Hand Selected Ole George Cask Strength Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
This is a Michigan grain-to-glass experience. The whiskey is made from a mash of 95% Northern Michigan raw rye and 5% Northern Michigan malted rye. That whiskey rests for four to five years before a single barrel is picked and bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel malts and old rye sourdough starter drive the nose toward vanilla pods, nut clusters, and plenty of winter spice with a hint of sourdough toast with blackberry jam.
Palate: There’s a light marmalade vibe on the palate that leads to more winter spice, burnt orange, salted caramel dipped in dark chocolate, and a touch of peppery tobacco.
Finish: The vanilla creates a silky finish that leans into the sweetness of the caramel and softness of slowly cooked grains with a hint of nutty tobacco and old oak staves.
Bottom Line:
Michigan is another corner of America with a burgeoning whiskey scene. This sleeper is going to be something that you have to find in-state but will be worth it once you get up there.
25. Heaven’s Door Aged 10 Years Decade Series II Straight Rye Whiskey
This new release from Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door focuses on 95/5 rye whiskey. In this case, select barrels that were 10 years or older were chosen for the batch. Once batched, this whiskey was proofed to 50% and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Holiday spice cakes and vanilla cookies lead on the nose with very dark and leathery dried fruit sheets over salted toffee rolled in roasted almonds and dipped in espresso-heavy dark chocolate with a rush of grassiness on the backend.
Palate: That grassiness rears its head on the palate and leads to dry roasting herbs with a sense of rye bread stuffing, dark fruit competes, and woody vanilla pods with a bark-heavy clove, anise, and cinnamon.
Finish: The end inches toward earthiness with an old woody spice vibe next to firewood stacked in fresh dirt with a sweet edge over lush vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
This is a great wintry spiced rye that works wonders as a dessert pour after a big holiday meal.
24. Kings County Distillery Empire Rye Straight Rye Whiskey
This New York rye is all about New York in the bottle. The whiskey is made from 80% New York-grown Danko rye and 20% English malted barley. That whiskey aged two years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose transports you to a green-grass backyard in the summer with a pile of maple bar doughnuts and nutmeg-cut rummy apple cider nearby.
Palate: The palate veers from the summer to the holidays with rich holiday nut cakes cut with plenty of cinnamon, clove, and allspice next to freshly baked rye sourdough with a whisper of caraway and fennel.
Finish: There’s a salted butteriness on the finish that adds a nice lushness before the spiced holiday cakes add more spice, soft nuttiness, and a hint more of that rye bread herbal nature.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for the perfect wintry Manhattan rye, this is it. Use a thick and sweet Italian vermouth with a good hit of orange and you’ll be set.
23. High West A Midwinter Nights Dram Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys
Each year, this limited drop varies slightly. This release was a mix of MGP rye (95% rye) and High West rye (100% rye) finished in French oak barrels that held ruby and tawny port. The barrels picked for this batch were between four and seven years old with the older barrels coming from Indiana and the younger ones from Utah.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a pretty complex nose with sour berries next to dried apricot, woody and slightly sweet cinnamon, French toast, and a mild note of something umami (dried mushrooms perhaps).
Palate: The palate gets more savory with a rhubarb vibe as dark chocolate with a serious woody spiced edge meets old leather laced with years of tobacco, lush vanilla cream, and salted caramel.
Finish: The end is as silky as eggnog with a whisper of black tea bitterness and minty tobacco rounding things out.
Bottom Line:
This is a great sipper and meal-pairing whiskey (that umami note is fire). You can also make a mean cocktail with this one.
22. Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
This new expression from awards-darling Kentucky Peerless takes its success with Double Oak Bourbon and applies it to its phenomenal rye whiskey. The rye is a local sweet mash whiskey (made with 100% new batches of ingredients every time) and ages for around four years in new oak. Then the whiskey is re-barrelled into a new American oak barrel for a finish run. Once those barrels hit the exact right moment, they’re batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There are roasted chestnuts on the nose that lead to a deep sense of pitchy fresh firewood, sweet cinnamon bark, and dark burnt orange rinds with a light moment of vanilla-laced marzipan.
Palate: Crème brûlée leads to fresh oak staves, more cinnamon bark, and a rush of dry wild sagebrush next to orange pekoe tea leaves, a hint of raw brown sugar cubes, and a chewy tobacco spiciness layered into an old leather pouch.
Finish: That chewy tobacco drives the finish with a heady buzz from the ABVs (no burn though) as the sharp cinnamon, soft marzipan, and dark orange oils ebb and flow until the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best bottles of whiskey Kentucky Peerless is producing right now. It’s deep, fun, and makes a hell of a cocktail.
Nelson Bros. Whiskey Rye is a marriage of Kentucky and Tennessee in a bottle. The whiskey was made in Kentucky and then sent to Tennessee where it finished its maturation before batching, proofing, and bottling in Nashville.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark and sharp cloves floating in piney honey open the nose toward hints of star anise, allspice, coriander, and red chili … you know what? It’s five-spice with a touch of fresh mint and dried apricot.
Palate: That apricot stars dried on the palate as freshly ground nutmeg over spiced creamy nog circles back around to syrupy mint with a sense of old leather boots and cedar bark.
Finish: That leather and cedar bark braids with menthol tobacco on the finish as almonds and dark and sharp cinnamon lead to another whisper of five spice on the very end.
Bottom Line:
Pair this whiskey with a good meal with plenty of spice and sweetness and you’ll be all set.
20. Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 7 Years
This new 2023 rye version from Beam marks the age-statement return of their iconic Knob Creek Rye. The whiskey in this case was aged seven years before batching, slight proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Salted caramel sweetness with a vanilla underbelly drives the nose toward rye bread crusts, a hint of dried savory herbs, apple blossoms, and a whisper of soft leather gardening gloves.
Palate: The spiciness arrives after vanilla cream and salted caramel with a dose of freshly cracked red peppercorns, dried red chili, and sharp winter brown spices next to a spiced oak.
Finish: The sweetness and spiciness coalesce on the finish with a deep sense of fruit orchards full of fall leaves and apple bark.
Bottom Line:
This a great table whiskey to have on hand for everyday sipping and mixing. It’s as easygoing over some rocks as it is in your favorite cocktail.
19. Barrell Rye Cask Strength A Blend of Rye Whiskeys Batch #004
This new blend of ryes from Barrell Craft Spirits combines four styles of rye. The main component is five, six, and 10-year-old Indiana rye mixed with a five-year-old Tennessee rye, a 6-year-old Kentucky rye, and a 14-year-old Canadian rye. Once batched, those whiskeys were bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leathery candied fruits and berries drive the nose toward tobacco leaves, roasting herbs, and nasturtiums with a whisper of woody sasparilla just kissed with spearmint and sesame seed.
Palate: There’s a candied fruit vibe on the palate with pecan waffles, butter, maple syrup, and a touch of burnt marshmallow dipped in creamy espresso that leads to anise and old boot leather.
Finish: Hazlenut shells and marzipan lead to a whisper of dried botanicals like juniper and ancho chili with a woody sense of dried herbs and tobacco dosed in old brandy.
Bottom Line:
Yes, this has a touch of Canadian rye whiskey in it, but the lion’s share of the blend is American rye. The point is that this is a great sipping whiskey that has incredible depth. Seriously, take your time sipping this one, add water or ice, and dive back in to plumb the deeper depths. You will be rewarded for your patience.
18. Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Toasted Cherry Wood And Oak Barrels
This whiskey — from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s own Origin Series — is their classic 95/5 rye that’s aged for almost five years. Then the whiskey is finished with alternating toasted American oak and toasted cherry wood staves in the barrel. Once the whiskey is just right, it’s batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is classic with fresh cherry layered with nasturtiums, cinnamon sticks, and soft cedar planks just kissed with clove, nutmeg, and anise before light red peppercorns and brandy-soaked cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate kick in.
Palate: The palate follows the nose’s lead with a lush mouthfeel that’s full of spicy stewed fruits and ciders mixing with creamy vanilla and nutty bases over subtle chili pepper spiciness far in the rear of the taste.
Finish: The end pushed the woody spices toward an apple cider/choco-cherry tobacco mix with a cedar box and old leather vibe tying the whole taste together.
Bottom Line:
This is another bottle that ended up being a stalwart of 2023. It’s so good in cocktails that it disappeared quickly at my house. It also pours wonderfully over a big rock as a sipper.
17. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
This hand-selected single-barrel expression hits on some pretty big classic Kentucky rye notes. The whiskey for the blend is selected from the center cuts of the third through fifth floors of the Wild Turkey rickhouses. There’s no chill filtering and the expression is only slightly touched by water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a lighter nose but it’s still full of dark orchard fruits, soft vanilla pods, old oak staves with a hint of old barrel house funk, and a mix of spicy orange rind next to freshly cracked black pepper and sharp cinnamon powder.
Palate: The palate leans into the cinnamon and layers it into chewy and buzzy tobacco with hints of vanilla sweetness, cherry bark woodiness, and sharp fancy root beer vibes.
Finish: The end pings on that old musty rickhouse one more time as a humidor full of vanilla, cherry, and cinnamon-spiced tobacco fades towards a rich and buttery toffee with a hint of rye fennel on the very backend.
Bottom Line:
You cannot go wrong pouring this over a big rock and letting it wash over you with its great depth. This is an everyday pour that excels.
16. 15 STARS Fine Aged Rye First West A Select Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys
This new release from 15 STARS is a blend of six, seven, and eight-year-old ryes from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. That blend informs the name “First West” as those states were considered the “West” during the early days of the United States in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a deep winter spice — clove, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg — next to Earl Grey tea, dried cranberry, dried cherry, and a dash of sour plum next to faint notes of dry grassy fall leaves and orchard barks with a whisper of roasting herbs.
Palate: Apricot jam over buttermilk scones dusted with cinnamon leads to dry oolong tea leaves, sweet smudging sage, creamed honey, and a touch of ginger tobacco just kissed with dark chocolate sauce cut with cardamon and clove.
Finish: That sharp gingery tobacco drives the finish with a bitter chocolate underbelly toward lush cherrywood and sour plum sauce with a hint more of those opening winter spices, dry fall leaves, and old cellar floors.
Bottom Line:
At this point, we’re into some of the best whiskeys of the year. This is a wonderful sipper that offers incredible nuance as a sipper that will keep unfolding new depths with every return.
15. Hemingway Rye, Signature Edition Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Rum Seasoned Oloroso Sherry Casks
The second release from Hemingway Rye is a blend of six-year-old Indiana rye (classic 95/5 rye/barley) with a four-year-old Kentucky 95/5 rye. Once those whiskeys were batched, the rye was re-barreled in Oloroso sherry casks that held rum.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a hint of dry sweetgrass over berry brambles before veering into nut cake and rum-soaked raisin with a hint of spice barks and vanilla cream.
Palate: Caramel cut with orange oils and dipped in dark chocolate drives the palate toward clove and nutmeg-heavy eggnog with a touch of vanilla sugar cookies, orange cake, and a medley of dates, figs, and prunes.
Finish: That dark fruit folds into a sticky toffee pudding vibe with more of that chocolate-covered caramel and dark orange with a lush finish.
Bottom Line:
Here’s another wonderful example of great sipping rye that just keeps on giving every time that you come back to it. Take it slow and enjoy the ride.
14. Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey 18 Years Old (BTAC 2023)
This year’s Sazerac is a “collection of rye whiskey barrels” that were filled in both the fall of 2004 and the spring of 2005, making this an 18-year-old rye with a touch of 19-year-old juice. Those barrels spent all of those years on the Buffalo Trace campus in warehouses K, L, and M before batching, proofing, and bottling otherwise as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leathery spice barks draw you in on the nose with a deep sense of rye bread crusted with aniseed, clove-studded oranges, and a hint of sweet pear.
Palate: Classic notes of dark winter spice mingle with black pepper, cumin, and chili pepper powder on the palate as candied BBQ pork and new leather lead to a vanilla-laden mid-palate with a soft oakiness.
Finish: That soft oakiness leads to a light and fresh honey sweetness with a light sense of pine and cinnamon bark dipped in hot apple cider with a hint of barrelhouse lurking behind it all.
Bottom Line:
This is incredibly sippable neat to the point that you might kill a whole bottle without noticing. If you’re looking for an elite whiskey that won’t blow out your palate with ABVs, this is the one.
13. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey
The whiskey in this bottle is drawn from single barrels of the good stuff. The whiskey in those barrels was made with Jack Daniel’s rye mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley that’s fermented with Jack’d proprietary yeast and lactobacillus before running through column stills. The hot juice was then slowly — literally one drip at a time — filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal made on-site at the distillery. Once filtered, the whiskey was filled into new American oak barrels and left to rest until each one was just right for a barrel-proof bottling run.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep with a hint of dried red chili pepper that builds toward soft and fresh pipe tobacco cut with pear and packed into an old leather pouch as a little bit of old candy wrapper a note of fizzy chinotto soda with a rock candy sweetness and a hint of dry sweet cedar.
Palate: Sweet dark fruits and grilled peach open the palate as a dramatic warmth starts to build toward razor-sharp clove, cinnamon, and mace with a very slight woody bark presence before singed marshmallows come into play and the heat hits 9-point-holy-shit on the Richter Scale.
Finish: That heat fades pretty quickly on the back end as notes of old boot leather and apple skin tobacco mingle with a faint whisper of creamy almond and ginger rock candy next to a fleeting note of dried ancho chilis soaked in hot water.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent rye, but (amazingly!) not the best Jack Daniel’s rye of 2023 (keep scrolling!). Still, this is so sippable and deep that you will keep coming back to it again and again until that bottle is empty and you’re ready to buy another.
This whiskey is Michter’s standard rye, finished in a second toasted barrel. In this case, those barrels are air-dried for 24 long months before being lightly toasted and loaded with the rye. The whiskey then goes into the bottle at barrel strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a spicy and sweet nose that’s just like a buttery, candied, and dried fruit, and nut-filled holiday cake that’s been drenched in good whiskey and left to sit for a month to amp up those flavors while a flutter of dry cedar kindling dipped in dark chocolate sneaks in.
Palate: The taste has a clear sense of black-tea-soaked dates, creamed vanilla honey, black walnuts, wet brown sugar, and a touch of salted dark chocolate with a whisper of bitterness that feels like vanilla pods still on the branch and old smoking hickory just kissed with brisket fat.
Finish: The mid-palate dries out towards that pitchy yet dry woodpile with an echo of dirt from the bottom of that woodpile on the finish before the roasting herbs and soft dark berries arrive with a whisper of dark chocolate tobacco and leather.
Bottom Line:
This is a perfect whiskey for pouring over a single big rock. That ice will calm the wood down and amp up the creaminess to this lovely balance of wintry spice cakes and woods that speak to winter sipping. It’s a delight next to a roaring fire on a cold winter night.
11. Old Overholt Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 10 Years
This special release from the James B. Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, takes a classic and dials it up to MAX volume. The whiskey is iconic Old Overholt rye that’s left alone in the Clermont warehouses for 10 long years before batching and bottling at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft corn husks and sweet oak dance on the nose next to bourbon vanilla buttercream, warm cinnamon toast, and brandied cherries just kissed with dark chocolate, red chili spice, and Earl Grey tea leaves.
Palate: That spice pops on the front of the palate before the cherries reappear with rich toffee and more of that creamy vanilla that’s countered by au poivre sauce without the steak.
Finish: Rye bread crust dipped into the creamy green peppercorn sauce on the finish before a sweet underbelly of creamed vanilla honey leads to a cherry spiced tobacco rolled with smudging sage and old boot leather and packed into an old oak barrel.
Bottom Line:
This goes places that you really don’t expect and just works — that cherry/chocolate vibe working with a creamy peppercorn spicy sauciness is baffling on paper but a delight on the senses. Pour this when you want something deep, fresh, and fun — especially if you’re eating steak au poivre!
10. Blue Run Single Barrel Double Oak Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (Barrel: #68594)
Blue Run Double Oak Single Barrel Rye Whiskey is a new line of 10 single barrels that dropped in time for Father’s Day 2023. The whiskey in each case is a double oak finish Kentucky rye that’s first aged in classic American white oak that’s finished in another new American white oak barrel — both of which were toasted and charred to a level #3 (medium deep). Those whiskey barrels were then bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright dried red chili peppers mingle with soft leather, a twinge of toffee sweetness, soft red berries, and a whisper of umami.
Palate: Caramel and woody vanilla rush to a touch of cherry bark and ABV warmth next to creamy winter spice and a hint of sharp red chili heat.
Finish: The end is a long and warm hug with a sense of dried brown spices with a hot edge, mild nuttiness, and a foundation of buttercream cut with sassafras.
Bottom Line:
Blue Run released a lot of great limited editions this year and this was the top of the pack. Sip it slowly and it’ll reveal beautiful depth and new hidden corners with every revisit.
This rye from craft distiller Starlight Distillery — part of the Huber Farm and Winery in Southern Indiana — is all about that final blend. The small batch is made from a group of five-year-old barrels and just proofed to highlight the whiskey in those barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The whiskey opens with a nose full of white pepper countered by stewed apples with a twinge of sour cherry tossed in smoked sea salt before a hint of creamy espresso and summer herb gardens arrive.
Palate: The palate has a creaminess that leans toward mocha lattes with a tobacco spiciness, cedar bark, and more of that stewed orchard fruit with an underlying white pepper spiciness.
Finish: The end leans into that white pepper with plenty of warm apple cider spiked with clove and cinnamon over vanilla cake cut with salted toffee and creamy espresso just kissed with chocolate tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is the best straight-forward workhorse whiskey on the list. This whiskey is so dialed and delicious. And it works however you want to drink it. It never fails. That’s worth celebrating.
8. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Years Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
This is the only non-bourbon whiskey in the Van Winkle line. While we don’t know the exact mash bill, Buffalo Trace does use a rye mash bill that’s very low-rye (how low we’ll never know, but it’s way closer to 51% … I heard somewhere). Either way, the whiskey is then barreled and allowed to mellow for 13 years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Imagine old rye crusts with a hint of caraway spiked with red peppercorns next to rich salted caramel apples and plenty of Christmas spices layered into a sticky toffee pudding all wrapped up in old worn leather with hints of fatty nuts and dried fruits on the nose.
Palate: The pepperiness mellows quickly as powdery white pepper leads to a soft vanilla cream pie cut with bitter orange zest, dark chocolate flakes, and a hint of salted black licorice.
Finish: The end pops with sharp anise and clove next to a fleeting sense of mint chocolate chip tobacco folded up with that old leather and plenty of soft cedar.
Bottom Line:
2023’s Van Winkle Rye is a winner. Yes, this is an over-hyped bottle but it’s goddamn slaps. One sip of this and you’ll instantly “get it” as to why this bottle is so beloved and sought after. Then mix this into an amazing cocktail.
The latest edition to Heaven Hill’s Parker’s Heritage Collection is a brashy 10-year-old rye. The whiskey is made from 142 barrels from specific warehouses and floors, all made with Heaven Hill’s 51% rye mash bill (supported by 35% corn and 14% malted barley). Once batched, the whiskey went into the bottle 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark stewed and dried fruits lead on the nose with a deep leatheriness that makes for chewy dried chili peppers, old tobacco leaves, and musty spice racks full of cumin, cinnamon, and clove.
Palate: Stewed black cherries dipped in dark chocolate open the palate toward deep creamed honey, cinnamon-infused mulled wine, and clove-studded blood oranges with a hint of old wicker porch furniture and piles of fall leaves just moistened by the rain.
Finish: Dry winter spice barks and berries mingle with dark black cherry compote on the finish before the wicker reeds take on a moment of dank and more tobacco drives the finish to a warm yet eggnog-creamy end.
Bottom Line:
Heaven Hill has quietly been making some of the best rye for a very long time. This bottle is a testament to the beautiful rye whiskey they produce. Sip it slow and enjoy the silky ride through wintry spice and holiday vibes.
6. Thomas H. Handy Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Proof (BTAC 2023)
This year’s Handy is straight rye (oddly “Kentucky” is missing from the label) comprised of barrels aged for over six years. Once those barrels were batched, this whiskey went into the bottles 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leathery orange rinds and hints of lemon poppyseed cake pop on the nose along with sappy pine bark, salted caramel, and cumin- and chili-laced leathery tobacco.
Palate: Dark rye bread appears on the front of the palate with a hint of molasses sweetness before the ABVs create a buzzing on the tongue with deep and dark orange marmalade, piney honey, soft vanilla oils, and a hint of potpourri leatheriness on the mid-palate.
Finish: That potpourri vibe mellowing fades on the finish as vanilla and star fruit arrive with a sense of dried chili and star anise hint at black licorice and sarsaparilla bark on the dry end.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best Handy’s since the mid-2000s. It’s vibrant and floral, making it truly its own thing. This is the bottle you get when you want something unlike any other rye on the market.
5. Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Whiskeys Finished in Sherry French Revere Oak
This new rye from the team over at Bourbon Pursuit is a masterful blend. The whiskey is hewn from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s 95/5 Kentucky rye batched with two Sagamore Spirit ryes — one a 95/5 and one 52/43/5 rye/corn/malted barley. Those whiskeys are batched and re-barreled into a French sherry revere cask for a final rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of dark fruits — black cherry, dates, rum raisin — on the nose that leads to soft and sweet oak next to worn leather, mulled wine, and brandy-soaked fig cut with nutmeg and clove.
Palate: The taste is more on the woody side of the spice with a clear sense of old-school mulled wine with sweet vanilla and star anise over orange rinds and raisins with a slight chili warmth underneath.
Finish: The chili warmth drives the finish toward a soft red-wine-soaked oak that’s spiced with orchard barks and fruits next to vanilla/cherry tobacco just kissed with dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
The team at Bourbon Pursuit made a masterpiece with this rye whiskey. After one sip, you’ll want more — so make sure to keep track of their amazing progress in 2024.
Angel’s Envy’s new Master Distiller, Owen Martin, put together the brand’s first-ever cask strength rye finished in Sauternes and toasted oak casks and it’s a masterpiece. The 95/5 rye was over five years old when it was batched and re-barreled into two different casks for a final mellowing. Then those casks were expertly blended and bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Creamy and deep creme brûlée cut with bold orange zest draws you in on the nose before this bright sense of sweet green apple blossom leads to pear brandy-soaked marzipan, eggnog spices, and buckwheat porridge cut with a whisper of salt and honey.
Palate: That pear brandy pops on the palate as sweetened cream over raw sugar cubes drives the taste toward rye bread with a twinge of caraway and fennel, more eggnog, and creamed honey in an old pine mug.
Finish: The end gets shockingly light for a moment with a fresh cream soda feel before twangy buttery floral cider arrives with a deep Earl Grey tea sharpness next to tobacco rolled with birch bark, roasting herbs, and old leather.
Bottom Line:
This is a phenomenal pour of rye whiskey. This is another one that’ll be hard not to kill in a weekend of slow sipping. Just make sure to try this in a really good Manhattan or old fashioned before you do kill the bottle. It’ll be amazing.
3. Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey 10 Years Old
2023’s Michter’s 10-Year Rye release was an instant classic. The whiskey is made from a corn-rich rye whiskey mash bill with a good dose of barley in there. The absolute best barrels are chosen — with some up to 15 years old — for this release. Then each of those barrels is individually bottled as-is with a hint of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich and lush toffee combines with soft marzipan on the nose as a dash of freshly cracked black pepper leads to cinnamon-laced apple cider and cherry-soaked cedar bark.
Palate: The palate is part Red Hot and part zesty orange marmalade with creamy vanilla pudding, sweet and spicy dried chili peppers with a hint of smoke and woodiness, and this fleeting whisper of celery salt.
Finish: The end dries out the almond with a vanilla cream tobacco, soft and sweet cedar, and dark chocolate orange vibe all balanced to damn near perfection.
Bottom Line:
This was Michter’s best rye of the year. It’s perfect for siping slow, especially over a big rock. You’ll get this beautifully sweet/spicy fruity/nutty experience that’s so unique and delicious.
This is also the best Manhattan base on the list.
2. Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release Tennessee Rye Whiskey Heritage Barrel Rye
This whiskey starts off with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey which is hewn from a mash of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley with Jack’s own yeast and lactobacillus strains. After a slow drip-drop filtering through 10 solid feet of sugar maple charcoal (which strips oily graininess and highlights sweet fruitiness, among other notes), the mellowed juice is filled into “Heritage Barrels.” Those barrels were seasoned in the open air for years. Once coopered, the American white oak barrels are heavily toasted and lightly charred. That toasting allows the sugars to caramelize and become more easily available to the distillate while the light char means less filtering as the whiskey moves in and out of the wood.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a deep sense of Christmas spiced cakes brimming with candied cherries and orange peels next to roasted walnuts and a moist strip of pear brandy-soaked marzipan with a light hint of homemade cranberry sauce, roasting herbs, and a light sense of fresh pipe tobacco just kissed with spicy chili-infused Mexican hot chocolate with a real vanilla pod as a swizzle stick.
Palate: That vanilla gets super creamy on the palate as eggnog with clove and nutmeg drive the taste back to candied pear, cherry, and orange with an underbelly of dry smudging sage, cedar bark, and tobacco leaves braided and rolled into an old cigar humidor with a sweet leathery edge.
Finish: The end marries the candied cherry, spiced chocolate, and vanilla buttercream into a bespoke Black Forest cake with a holiday spice vibe next to soft sweetgrass, more of those roasting herbs, and a whisper of dried ancho chili soaked in pear brandy that’s just kissed with huckleberry pie.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best Jack Daniel’s releases of the past few years. Period. It’s magical and just delicious from top to bottom. Buy a case.
1. Pride of Anderson County Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
This elite whiskey is a collaboration between Rare Character’s Pablo Moix, Rare Bird 101’s David Jennings, and Wild Turkey’s Bruce Russell. The whiskey in the bottle is a single barrel of Wild Turkey rye that was distilled back in June of 2014 and left to age in the famed Tyrone rickhouse at Wild Turkey (on floor four if you want to get granular). That barrel was pulled in October of 2023 and bottled 100% as-is, making this highest-proof and only barrel-proof single-barrel Wild Turkey ever released.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark candied orange and brandied cherry jump out of the glass toward the nose as rich toffee rolled in almond and dusted with dark chocolate and a pinch of salt leads toward this sense of Earl Grey tea leaves soaked in dry champagne with this faint whisper of chinotto sneak in with a light effervescence.
Palate: The taste opens with a light fresh sourdough rye bread with hints of fennel and poppy seed before soft black peppercorns gently lead the palate toward candied lime and orange peels, vanilla buttercream, nutmeg and clove-spiked walnut bread, salted butter, and more of that champagne-soaked Earl Grey layered into a rich pipe tobacco leaf with a hint of worn saddle soap.
Finish: The spice leans into woody cinnamon barks, clove buds, allspice berries, and star anise with a moment of sarsaparilla wood before brandied cherries, pear compote with saffron, and apple fritters with powdered sugar icing meld into a lush vanilla-forward creamy eggnog with a whisper of peppermint and tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This might well be one of the best whiskeys of the last few years. It’s like finding buried treasure, your dreams coming true, and your whiskey wishes getting granted.
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