rye whiskey

Heaven Hill just announced details of the new edition of its Parker’s Heritage Collection, the top-tier whiskey line from this venerable Kentucky distillery. This time the liquid is pretty straightforward—a 10-year-old rye whiskey bottled at cask strength—but that surely won’t stop collectors from snapping this bottle up.

Parker’s Heritage Collection is named after the late Heaven Hill master distiller Parker Beam who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. A portion of the proceeds from this 17th edition, like past releases, will go to benefit ALS research. Since 2013, the distillery says it has raised more than a million dollars for the cause. So what’s in this new bottle? As mentioned before, this is a 10-year-old rye made in the Kentucky style from a mashbill of 51 percent rye, 35 percent corn, and 14 percent malted barley. According to Heaven Hill, the whiskey was barreled in August, October, or December of 2012. If you are a whiskey fan who really likes to get into the weeds of the terroir and climate of maturation, the barrels were located on the first floors of Rickhouses H1 and H2, the fifth floor of Rickhouse FF, the third and seventh floors of Rickhouse BB, and the second floor of Rickhouse DD. Lastly, the whiskey is non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength of 128.8 proof.

Each edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection is different—some are more traditional whiskeys while others veer more toward the experimental. For example, last year’s release was a blend of 15-year-old bourbon and double-barreled 13-year-old bourbon, 2018 unveiled a bourbon finished in orange Curaçao barrels, 2015 was a malt whiskey, and 2021 was a wheat whiskey aged in heavily charred barrels. A 10-year-old rye whiskey, even at cask strength, is not necessarily the most unique innovation in the whiskey world, but it all comes down to the flavor. We got to try a sample of this whiskey, and it’s a richly flavored rye that definitely comes in hot. Once that alcohol burn subsides, there are nice notes of candied orange, peach jelly, vanilla, caramel, black pepper, and cayenne. A little bit of water would go a long way here, but this whiskey will be worth the price for dedicated fans of this Heaven Hill collection and high-proof rye whiskeys.

Speaking of which, the SRP is $185 for this allocated release which goes on sale next month. But you can still find previous years’ releases for sale (for wildly inflated prices) like the 2021 expression and the 2018 cask-finished expression from Drizly. It’s never too late to start your own collection!

For more information please visit https://heavenhilldistillery.com/

Widow Jane has launched a new rye, the latest in the Brooklyn distillery’s collection of small-batch whiskeys.

A statement from Widow Jane noted that their new Paradigm Rye will have a “soft rollout” in key markets, then the new rye whiskey will hit shelves across the U.S. later this summer.

Paradigm Rye is the first nationally available Widow Jane product that’s made up of whiskey distilled at the brand’s home on Conover Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

For a half decade now, the Widow Jane team has filled barrels of rye whiskey distilled in-house, and with the earliest barrels now mature, it’s been blended with hand-selected ryes from Kentucky and Indiana.

Widow Jane’s head distiller and blender, Sienna Jevremov, said the goal with Paradigm is to “reset the standard for great rye whiskey that spotlights equally the arts of distilling, blending, and finishing, which embodies what we do here at Widow Jane. Paradigm Rye follows the brand’s history of bringing an unusual, fruit forward profile in a rye, backed up with the spice that bartenders seek for cocktails.”

Paradigm Rye is non-chill filtered and proofed with limestone mineral water from the Rosendale Mines of New York.

The distiller’s notes show that on the nose, the rye whiskey has aromas of lemon meringue pie, spring flowers, cut grass, and lychee. The palate tastes of buttered rye toast, mandarin marmalade, cedar, and white pepper. It finishes with hints of thyme, artichoke, Earl Grey tea, sandalwood, and peach.

For more information, check out www.widowjane.com.

In an exciting collaboration between famed sommelier and founder of Maison Noir Wines André Hueston Mack and Pinhook Bourbon, Rye & Sons 2022 Straight Rye Whiskey was born of a creative itch brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Mack worked closely with Pinhook Master Blender Sean Josephs, a close friend for over a decade, to develop an approachable rye whiskey, the 2022 rendition being the first release in the line.

Mack made his mark in the wine world but appreciates the complexity of whiskey. His reasoning behind choosing rye as his introduction to the creation of the spirit due to its similarities to wine within the flavor profile. “I wanted to make a great rye that really over-delivers on flavor, but most importantly, I wanted to bring a personality to the category,” Mack says in a prepared statement. “Rye is about the human connection with friends, with family, with whoever you are sipping with.”

This isn’t the first time Mack has worked with Pinhook Bourbon, as a previous release of Pinhook’s Collaboration Series enjoyed great success with a straight bourbon edition. In that series, however, Mack was a guest star, whereas Rye & Sons shows him center stage in the creation and release. Pinhook Bourbon specializes in small batch blending and scrupulous barrel selection, and while the company is best known for their bourbons, the development of Rye & Sons as a brand under the Pinhook umbrella has brought a new audience, possibly encouraging wine enthusiasts who trust Mack’s discerning palate and wish to branch into the vast world of whiskey.

My own palate has greatly benefited from studying and broadening my wine knowledge, as I’ve found many similarities when practicing intentional tasting. The more one engages with spirits and wine beyond pure enjoyment, the greater the world of flavor opens to them. With this in mind, I feel like Mack was the perfect collaborator on this project, as the whiskey is completely enjoyable and wholly accessible to those drinkers who might not initially be drawn to rye.

Tasting Notes: Rye & Sons 2022 Straight Rye Whiskey

Vital Stats: 97.5 Proof (48.75% ABV). Distilled in Danville and Frankfort, Kentucky. SRP $28.99.

Appearance: Fire yellow with medium viscosity.

Nose: Much to enjoy on the nose, with strong, zesty notes of cereal, vanilla, toasted grains, and blackberry.

Palate: Light and warming, the whiskey has slight honey notes, with strong spice, fresh cut grass, dark chocolate orange, and nettle tea.

Summary

This is a rye whiskey that is priced to appeal to all and developed to impress. I don’t always expect much from whiskeys at this price point, and so I was happy to be proved wrong here. There is an obvious flavor master at the helm of this creation, and I will enjoy sharing this with friends who might not expect to enjoy rye whiskey.

For more information please visit https://www.ryeandsons.com/