Distilled and initially matured in Canada before being aged further, at the WhistlePig Farm in Vermont. This 10 year old straight rye is made with 100% rye.
Appearance: Light caramel. Many medium trails and lots of teardrops. A nice viscous film forms easily on the inside of the glass.
Nose: Caramel, brown sugar and vanilla accompanied by a pine-fresh slightly peppery rye.
The nose seems to become richer with the caramel notes over time, but it’s a fairly standard rye nose, nothing stands out.
Palate: A slightly oily mouthfeel and a pleasant mixture of caramel, mint chocolate and raw cookie dough greet the taste buds initially.
There are faint wood notes along with damp leaves.
The rye spice does come through, but this is sweeter than the usual rye flavour profile.
To be fair the balance between the sweet, pepper and vegetal notes is good.
Finish: Short to medium in length. Brown sugar mixed in melted butter, some Christmas spices appear too: cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. The damp forest floor note makes a brief and obvious appearance.
Overall: Inoffensive but forgettable. Should be a lot better for the £70+ charged in the UK.
