Yum.

 

A few new tipples.  One from memory since I didn’t find all of these at the same time.  Also, the tasting notes won’t be all that in-depth since I’m not in a terribly contemplative mood.

Teal deer:  Rye is good.  Even cheap rye is good.

Saratoga in the Rye:  This is something that is probably not at your liquor store, and you don’t need to be sad about that.  Not that this is bad — it’s actually good.  However, it’s not any better than less expensive options.  I was really looking forward to this one since most ryes are distilled at the same facility and then finished by the eventual bottler.  This was (supposedly) a complete localvore product, with NY-grown rye and Saratoga spring* water, distilled here in town.  That may be true, but there was nothing terroir-y about this, and at $40/bottle, I can’t recommend it.  You may notice that the bottle is empty in the picture.  That means it was good enough for me to drink, but not unique enough to add to the collection of whisky(ie)s that I keep on hand either for visitors, or for myself when I want that one particular taste/experience.  Really great and/or hard to get bottles are never finished until I have a replacement in hand.  Is it good enough to drink?  Absolutely?  Good enough to buy?  Nope.

Now the next two could be used for a practical lesson in a tasting class.

Confession time:  I like candy.  Which also means I like booze that’s been sitting in charred barrels soaking up all that pyrolyzed cellulose, getting all that caramel and vanillin into the hooch.  This effect is perfectly illustrated by these — the first being much more about the flavors of the barrel than the second.

James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey: Sweet, peppery, finishes a bit ashy.  Unlike most, a little water cuts the sweetness way back.  The ashy finish is part and parcel of the process that gets that sweetness and color going.  However, beyond that, this isn’t the most terribly interesting drink. Even though it’s relatively cheap, there are much better values out there.  This one is not going into the collection, but will probably be used for whiskey sodas in the summer.

Hotel Tango Rye, ready-to-drink: The label says this is the only distillery run by disabled vets.  People are for the most part, people.  And large groups of people are generally also people.  Neither better nor worse.  There are a few groups that do seem to be worse than the general population (teachers, politicians, cops) but veterans seem to not be among those.  Having said all of that, between Black Rifle Coffee Company and William Gordon Gaylor Jr., I am totally over the vetbro thing.  The proof of the whiskey is in the drinking.   Almost completely lacking a nose.  Oh, now this one is good.  This one is much more about the spirit as opposed to the barrel – it lacks the candy notes as the ash, and it’s lighter overall.  This one is going into the collection.  I’m not sure exactly what kind of mood it’s most suited for, but it’s tasty.

 

*The various springs in Saratoga Springs have radically differing levels of carbonation, sulfur, and /or other more-or-less tasty minerals.  So when someone claims “made with famous Saratoga Springs water!” you really so need to consider which spring they used.  Now if they mean “water purchased from the Saratoga Spring Water Company,” yeah that stuff is fairly delish.  But when I finally get one of you to visit, we’ll take a springs tasting tour and you can experience Hathorn Spring in all its effervescent stench glory.