Notes for the 2 year old, 100% Rye, Straight American Rye Whiskey, non chill-filtered, small batch, #44. Nose: pencil shavings, dill, cumin, paprika, black pepper. Palate: dill, cumin on the entry, cinnamon and toasted grainy rye in the middle, heather, kitchen sage and salt, with barrel spice and hints of chocolate on the very long finish. 4 tier flavor development, when palated correctly. Certainly an acquired taste, (the pencil shavings and dill are very dominant on the nose, and will get a reaction for sure!) but a unique and enjoyable experience, IMHO. The palate is much more balanced than the nose, with cinnamon being the most distinct note. Needs time to open up, seemingly no body at first, but that really is not the case once it's been breathed properly. Big body for a two year old, luxurious mouth-feel, neither tannic nor oily. The clean Cascade water is a sterling canvas for the oil that is the flavor profile. High quality, but very much an acquired taste...youngest and most unique whiskey I've ever had. Given the age, I'd like to see this at $20-$25 instead of $30 here in Bend, Oregon. Non-biased review. Recommend you try a shot first before buying a bottle, I'd say this could be considered the pungent and strong Islay of Ryes. Huge points for complexity, clarity of notes, and very long finish.
About this bottle
Bendistillery, located in Bend, Oregon, has been distilling a wide range of spirits since 1996. They're known for gin and vodka, as well as infusions such as hazelnut espresso vodka. They now also make Crater Lake Rye Whiskey, which is non-chill filtered and aged for 12 months or less, with a 95% rye, 5% barley mash bill. Its light yellow-gold coloration in the glass backs up that young age.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 14 parsed reviews.
This is not your typical rye, it’s almost like a dessert wine or dessert whisky and not in a good way. The toffee notes hit you immediately, but taste like they came from the bottom of a trash can. This lacks the typical spice profile found in good rye whisky.
spice and grass nose, a little sour then spice and ethanol on the tongue and then GONE with saccrine aftertaste. really awkward, maybe because the 100% rye mashbill got away from them.
Aroma is spicy and herbal. Taste is quintessential rye, plenty of richness and body to let the spice linger. One of the better ryes I've had.
Peppery, herbal, medicinal. Not a ton of experience with ryes, so I don’t have a lot to compare this to.
Meh. Tastes medicinal and too much of the wrong oaky flavor.
8 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
