Cream of Kentucky Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey

Picked this up on a whim a while back, surprised to see anything with CoK on the shelf. Admittedly, the price made me a tad bit cautious at $75 for something just on the BiB side of the line, but it (was) 2022, and $75 is the new $60, so went for it. A bit of a ruddy gold pour, the nose is, well, odd. Highly herbaceous, and somewhat green and funky, there's a bit of tea, a splash of mint, and an almost vegetal note that, admittedly, did not strike a good chord. In a nutshell, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be (which is a bit odd, considering the Jim Rutledge signature on the bottle). Flavor is a rye...a bold, spicy, herby, minty, and (mildly) dill pickley rye...and is a vast improvement on the flavor even if not perfectly aligned with my tastes. Bit of brown sugary chewiness on the finish that remains spicy for quite a while. Did I like this? At first, no, and I never warmed up to the nose, but the palate is intriguing and makes it something to bring off the shelf when a guest is looking for something new, or loves ryes...but this would be downright offensive to someone who likes to hang out on the sweeter end of the spectrum

What's not to like here? The nose betrays a subtle dill rye, the palate offers up nuanced rye flavors of unsalted, roasted walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans (and perhaps cashews) and the finish brings an understated, but nonetheless markedly enjoyable, lingering sweeteness. If the price were $50-$65, picking up a bottle would be a no-brainier. However, various reviews across the interwebs have argued that a price point nearing $90 might deter the purchase of a four-year, bonded, 100-proof debut whiskey. Ultimately, this is an elegant, unique pour, artfully crafted by Jim Rutledge, priced at a position that may bring hesitation to pulling the trigger on acquiring a bottle. With "only" 70 barrels produced, it's reasonable to skrimp and splurge on this if a Willett 4-year, Pikesville, et. al, "available" ryes already sit on your bar.

Definitely a heavy chocolate presence on the nose as well as the palate, it’s up front, dark almost dry chocolate, as this fades you get the typical rye grain, fresh, kind of subtle minty notes, the finish is crisp and closes quickly. A unique pour, not in love with it, but happy to add it to the selection for friends and myself to enjoy

Nose: Holy rye bread. Like sticking your nose in a bag of rye bagel chips. Body: medium Palate: so much rye. Hint of chocolate. Finish: medium to long and rye bread. Note: a little flyer on the rye from don. So I appreciate the work put into this. And it’s rye for days holy smokes. It’s pretty good but not my jam.

On the nose it's malty, toasted cereal with a hint of cinnamon. On the palate it's smooth and creamy. I don't get the aggressive spice or spearmint I'm accustomed to with a rye, instead it's a soft, slow building heat for a nice finish. This is one of the better ryes I've had.

Nose: Caramel, Herbal, Minty, Green apple, Honeysuckle, Vanilla Palate: Caramel/Brown sugar initially giving way to green apple and vanilla then to black pepper and anise. Medium bodied. Finish: Medium to short with mint, black pepper, anise, vanilla, and light hug