Clyde May's Straight Rye Whiskey (Recipe No. 3)

 Color (5%):  Very light, hay hue, 3/5

Nose (10%): light, faint spice, floral notes. 7/10

Palate (20%): still has a bit of oiliness, like the bourbon. honey on the tip, light apple presents itself after a few sips. Nice rye bread spice. 14/20

Finish (10%): quite hot, lots of alcohol burn. some star anise. could've used more time in the wood. 5/10

Overall Impression and Harmony (30%): Overall this is a pretty good young rye. The alcohol burn is harsh, even for the proof. a bit more time in the wood would clean that up, but it would take away from some of the delicate spice balance. It'd be good with a little water or mixed but isn't great to sip on its own. I'm curious to try it over ice. 21/30

Retry on Ice (25%): The nose is still there and quite lovely. lighter, weaker alcohol burn. doesn't add anything but it does get rid of some roughness. 20/25

Total Ranking: 70% Legendary, Amazing, Great, Good, Fair, Average, Tolerable, Swill

Estimated Fair Price: $25
Actual Price: $35

Conclusion: This is a cocktail whiskey, not a sipping whiskey. Their website even recommends it in a perfect manhattan. I agree, the dry vermouth would play well with the spiced floral character. That said, it sets a market cap for its utility. I can think of a few things to do with this but above $30 a bottle is too high for something I don't want to sip straight. I'm curious to try their 8-year barrel select and their Special reserve. At the bar, you can skip the neat pour, but if a cocktail with it is featured on the menu, give it a shot. 

Fact Sheet:
Distillery Location: Florida USA
ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
Age Statement: 4 years
Method: non-chill filtered
Awards: 92 Points 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sheep Dip Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Color (5%):  Lovely golden amber, copper, very clear. 4/5 Nose (10%): Delightful clean unmalted barley note, lightly toasted oak, 7/10 Palate (20%): delightfully light and fragrant. a medium sweetness appears at the tip of the tongue of honey and golden syrup. A slight bit of orange zest and oil. 17/20 Finish (10%): Any alcohol sharpness quickly fades but leaves a warmth of spice and cinnamon which lingers for a goodly long while. 8/10 Overall Impression and Harmony (30%): This is truly a fine blended whiskey. you see every component balanced and harmonized. The honey sweetness with orange oil, a kiss of smoke and lingering spice. 27/30 Retry on Ice (25%): Actually brings out a bit more woody body. weakens the finish and the opening sweetness is shortened to make way for that the richer smoke. The water dilution really does unbind the smokey oily compounds that were trapped in the bottle. Not that the released oils of this particular whisky are dominant at all, merely enhanced. T
Read more

Review: Callisto Botanical Rum

  Color (5%): water clear, slightly higher viscosity.    4/5  Nose (10%):  Yeah, that smells like gin. Not like a pine tree but that citrusy botanical quality is huge. If I had to guess, bergamot, cardamom, and citrus peels. No licorice notes to speak of, no real pepperiness, slight white floral notes.  9/10 Palate (20%):  Quite dry albeit the sucrose flavor is there. It's gin, but with a few undertones. It reminds me of some gins I've had using honey as a base or apples. It doesn't have the pepperiness of most gins but as a "botanical gin" this hits the mark. 17/20 Finish (10%):  the spice character does linger quite a while. but it's pretty dang clean. Not nuanced, but lingering and clean 7/10 Overall impression (30%): Overall, this is a non-juniper forward, sugarcane-based gin. this is not a rum on the palate. Rum is sweet, it is dry, it is robust, it is nuanced. there are fruity notes in rum and floral. rum can taste like cognac or whiskey, but when it tas
Read more