It’s rye whiskey time! There’s something about the fruity, herbaceous, and funky whiskey made with a majority of rye grain that just feels wintry. Maybe it’s the adjacency to spiced holiday cakes or maybe it’s the darker fruit vibes that come with the whiskey that makes it feel like a good pour to have right about now. Or maybe it’s that rye whiskey always makes the best Manhattan cocktail and winter is definitely classic Manhattan season.
No matter what that tough-to-pin-down feeling is about, rye whiskey and winter work well together. So it’s high time for yet another blind taste test of brand-new ryes.
For this round of blind tasting, I’ve grabbed eight rye whiskeys that just dropped. These bottles are either brand-new, never-before-seen expressions, or this season’s newest batch. All of these were released over the last days and weeks, which makes them so new that some of these bottles haven’t even hit shelves outside of the distillery yet (they’ll go wide soon enough).
When it comes to ranking these brand-new rye whiskeys, the taste is what matters most. I’m giving you my professional tasting notes and then looking at what runs the deepest with the best overall flavor profile. Sometimes it’s that easy. The issue was — minor spoiler alert — that these rye whiskeys were all pretty goddamn tasty. They really broke into two categories: “really good” and “great.”
The lineup today is as follows:
- Templeton Rye Stout Cask Finish
- Woodinville Straight 100% Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Casks
- Old Ezra Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 7 Years
- FEW Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond
- Stellum Rye The Lone Cypress
- Sagamore Spirit Rye Barrel Select Aged 7 Years Creator’s Cask 2022 Barrel 158
- Blue Run Emerald Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Winter Batch
- Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish + American 110 Proof
Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top Five Rye Whiskey from the Last Six Months on UPROXX
- The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
- The Winning Scotch And Bourbon Whiskeys From This Year’s Ascot Awards
- The Best Whiskeys In The World, According To The John Barleycorn Awards
- The Best Bourbons And Ryes From The 2022 American Whiskey Masters Awards
- The Absolute Best Whiskeys We Tasted At This Year’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival
Part 1: The Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
There’s a mix of cherry candy and dried chili pepper on the nose next to a hint of creamy dark chocolate and maybe a hint of marmalade and dried apricot. The palate has a lushness that’s accentuated by chocolate-dipped black cherry next to Amaretto-spiked mocha lattes and a hint of dark red chili next to old vanilla pods. The end leans into the bitter espresso with a dark chocolate vibe countered by vanilla tobacco, rum raisin, dried figs, and a hint of winter spice.
This is really nice. It feels very “stout” orientated with all that coffee and chocolate but still has a nice fruitiness with a serious chili pepper spiciness.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
There’s a spiced plum jam feel to the nose with a hint of dried nasturtiums and a dash of old boot leather and dry cedar bark. The palate dips some dried sour cherries into salted dark chocolate with a hint of rye bread crusts just kissed with caraway and fennel leading to a mild line of apple cores and stems. The end has a soft mix of vanilla fruit cake with plenty of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon next to raisins, dates, and prunes with a hint of chili pepper warmth.
This feels super wintry with all that dried fruit and winter spice layered with vegetal spice and dry woody barks. It’s really good and complex is what I’m getting at.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
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. The palate leans into the soft vanilla with a dash of burnt orange and leathery spice before some ABVs start buzzing on the tongue. The end has a nice layer of orange and clove tobacco with a hint of old oak and vanilla honey cookies.
This was pretty nice overall. It was a little high on the ABVs but it didn’t blow out the palate entirely.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a mix of salted black licorice, cherry root beer, and mint chocolate chip next to old porch wicker and boot leather. The palate has a nice balance of cinnamon candy with dark milk chocolate just kissed with dried chili flakes and woody allspice before a hint of black cherry tobacco kicks in. That tobacco vibe continues on the finish as the allspice, sweet cinnamon, and cherry counter a slight sense of whole black peppercorns.
Again, this was really nice overall. It didn’t jump out at me but it’s still solid and well-rounded.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
There’s a light pine resin vibe on the nose with a bushel of dried savory green herbs — think sage, thyme, rosemary, tarragon — next to old leather and dried sour cherries tossed in kosher salt. The palate has a note of that pine with a soft orange rind next to a spiced winter cake with dried fruit, walnuts, and wintry spices. The end is slightly warm thanks to high ABVs with a sense of those salted cherries and pine resin leading to a dry finish.
This was interesting. I feel like I need to spend more time with this to plumb its deeper nuances.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
This nose is outstanding with a sense of dark and spicy fruit cake full of dried figs, dates, and prunes next to cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with a dash of candied citrus and tart blackcurrant with this whisper of fresh dill and mint lurking in the background with a spiced apple cider vibe. The palate has a pecan waffle and maple syrup feel next to black tea and malted chocolate shakes with a hint of rye bread crust, caraway, and vanilla beans. The end leans into the fruit cake spices with a woody edge before rum-raisin, spice apple tobacco, and old cedar boards round things out.
This is a great rye whiskey.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
Woody winter spices — clove, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon — lead on the nose with a hint of creamy toffee and vanilla cake that’s countered by chili spices and a pinch of cumin, almost like a garam masala. The palate has a thick buttery caramel sweetness with a sharp chili pepper fresh spiciness next to stewed apples and pears with sultanas, woody winter spice, and cut with a hint of clove brandy. The end has a leathery vibe with a buttery apple crumble tobacco vibe with a hint of old cedar bark and spiced barks rolled up with burnt orange and dried tart cherry.
This is excellent as well.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Oatcakes and vanilla wafers mingle with raisins, bushels of apples, and gingerbread with a hint of honey and I want to say mango skins. The palate leans into the soft and powdered winter spices with a soft orange citrus note that leads to apple nut oatmeal with plenty of fresh honey and raisin next to spicy apple cider and ginger snaps. The end has a maltiness that’s followed by sweet winter spices, honey, and nuttiness.
This is clearly a rye blended with a very soft and fruity whiskey. It’s very tasty though.
Part 2: The Ranking
8. Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish + American 110 Proof — Taste 8
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
The latest release from Irish-American whiskey brand Keeper’s Heart blends Irish grain and pot still whiskeys with American rye whiskey (all aged over four years). Unlike the previous releases from the brand, this expression ramps up the rye whiskey and ABVs with a higher proof and only a touch of water in the final blend.
Bottom Line:
This wasn’t a bad whiskey at all. It was pretty goddamn tasty truth be told. It was the lightest whiskey on this panel though and that’s the only reason it’s ranked last. Taste-wise, this is a winner, especially if you’re looking for an orchard fruit and honey-nut-forward dram.
7. Old Ezra Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 7 Years — Taste 3
ABV: 57%
Average Price: $89
The Whiskey:
This brand-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.
Bottom Line:
This was another good whiskey. The citrus was nice and bright and added to the overall rye vibe. It’s only a little lower today because it was a tad one note.
6. FEW Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond — Taste 4
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
This brand-new rye from Illinois’ FEW Spirits is a follow-up to last year’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon from the brand. The whiskey is made from a mash of 70% rye, 20% corn, and 10% malted barley. That hot juice is then mellowed in both standard 53-gallon barrels and smaller 30-gallon barrels for about four years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This felt classic and standard. It really felt like the perfect cocktail rye that also works as a sipper on the rocks when you’re looking for an easy drinking experience on a weekday evening.
5. Stellum Rye The Lone Cypress — Taste 5
ABV: 57.67%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Named for one of the world’s most famous trees, this whiskey is all about finding the funky forest in the flavor profile of a brand-new rye whiskey. The blend was created by the awesome team at Barrell Craft Spirits to accentuate woodier notes before it was bottled at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This was dank and kind of funky, which is a lot of fun. That pine resin dankness was bold though, which pushed this a little bit down the ranks today. Still, this is unique and inviting, so don’t skip it.
4. Woodinville Straight 100% Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Casks — Taste 2
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $70
The Whiskey:
Following in the footsteps of Woodinville’s beloved Port Cask Finished Bourbon, this year’s Woodinville 2022 Harvest Season selection is a 100% Washington rye whiskey finish in Ruby Port Casks for four months of additional mellowing. Finally, those barrels are batched, proofed, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the “great stuff” mentioned above. This is just really good whiskey with a nice and deep flavor profile that’s also a bit convivial and fun. I can see sipping this over some rocks but it really feels like the perfect Manhattan base.
3. Templeton Rye Stout Cask Finish — Taste 1
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
This year’s brand-new Stout Cask Finish from Templeton out in Iowa is a classic 95/5 rye/malted barley whiskey. Those barrels are vatted and re-barreled into chocolate coffee stout casks for an additional three months before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This came out of nowhere to nearly win the whole panel. It was so well-made and deeply flavored with a nice change of pace. There was no rye funkiness, but the stout vibes more than made up for it. I’d definitely use this in cocktails first but can see it working perfectly well as a sipper over some rocks.
2. Blue Run Emerald Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Winter Batch — Taste 7
ABV: 58.35%
Average Price: $110
The Whiskey:
The latest release from Blue Run is their second rye release, Emerald Rye. The whiskey is contract distilled at Castle & Key in Frankfort, Kentucky. The limited run yielded only 189 barrels that were expertly blended and bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious whiskey. It works wonders neat with enough depth to really dig into. The overall vibe was easygoing and fun with a sense of rye that leans into orchard fruits and woody spices in just the right balance.
1. Sagamore Spirit Rye Barrel Select Aged 7 Years Creator’s Cask 2022 Barrel 158 — Taste 6
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $70
The Whiskey:
This is a brand new line from Sagamore Spirit out in Maryland. The very first Creator’s Cask is a blend of a high-rye whiskey single barrel selected by social media whiskey influencers WhiskyNomad, TheBrewBrotha, TheEducatedBarFly, and ThatOneDudeRyan that’s batched lower-rye whiskey to create this one-of-a-kind whiskey.
Bottom Line:
This was delicious. It’s deep, fun, and fresh. This is definitely worth getting your hands on for winter sipping and Manhattan-making.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a great panel of whiskeys. I can recommend all of them. Scroll through those tasting notes and find one that speaks to you.
That said, the Sagamore Spirit Creator’s Cask Rye or Blue Run really are the ones you want to spend your hard-earned money on. They’re both truly exemplary bottles of whiskey you might never see again.
