Partly inspired by our good friend Zach Johnston from UPROXX, I sat down with a flight of heavy-hitting rye whiskies a few weeks back. In this tasting, I will share my notes from these great tasting pours and how I ranked them at the end.
Rye Whiskies Tasted:
- Parker’s Heritage Heavy Char Rye Whiskey – 8 Years old
- Smooth Ambler Founders Cask Strength Rye Whiskey – Batch 3
- Thomas H. Handy – 2019
- Parker’s Heritage – 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey
Which one do you think comes out on top? Send us a note before you scroll any further
Parker’s Heritage Heavy Char Rye – Proof 108
- Nose: Toasted vanilla, oak, light citrus, balanced by roasted peanut
- Palate: Roasted Christmas nuts, orange peel, honeysuckle
- Finish: Light finish which is slightly floral with hints of honeysuckle
Smooth Ambler Founder’s Cask Strength Rye Whiskey Batch Number 3 – Proof 122.6
- Nose: Refreshing nose, coming from the previous “heavy char” pour; creamy, citrus, and vanilla
- Palate: Bright palate, citrus candies, vanilla and cream soda
- Finish: Long finish of crème brûlée and citrus
Thomas H. Handy – 2019 – Proof 128.8
- Nose: Caramel, hint of citrus, oak influence, slight wisp of cherry
- Palate: tropical fruit, pineapple, coconut, banana, balanced by sweet caramel
- Finish: It finishes like a muddled old fashioned
Parker’s Heritage – 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey – Proof 128.8
- Nose: Oak, vanilla, citrus
- Palate: peanut butter, oak, creamy mouthfeel, brown sugar, that taste like tagalong cookies in a glass. This would confuse many bourbon drinkers.
- Finish: Sweet, long finish
After drinking this amazing flight of rye whiskey, it was time to decide which one was best! I won’t keep you waiting! Here is how I ranked them:
4) Parker’s Heritage Heavy Char Rye
3) Thomas H. Handy – 2019
2) Park’s Heritage 10 year old rye whiskey
1) Smooth Ambler Founder’s Cask Strength Rye Whiskey – Batch 3
This was a great flight, but I have to say that Smooth Ambler is on to something with their Founder’s Series Rye Whiskey.
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