Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey (Discontinued)

Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey 47.5% abv   This is a nice Rye whiskey from Dad’s Hat located just outside of Philly in Bristol, PA. This is a 3yr old Straight Rye whiskey with a mash bill of 80% Rye grain and 20% Malted Barley, which is pretty cool to see something that isn’t 100% Rye NOT blended with corn at all…..Sounds excellent right?    The smell is fresh Rye/Dill/baking spice, menthol/eucalyptus, light vanilla.  The taste is a nice warm spice, very little heat.  Pepper, Clove, fresh cut grass, a bit of honey. The finish is medium to long with menthol/eucalyptus, pepper and baking spice.    I was skeptical of this one because a few other Craft Pennsylvania Rye’s have let me down. I am happy to say that this one is very good and fairly priced. I think I paid around $60 for this which may seem high, but in today’s whiskey world you aren’t going to find a High Rye “Straight Rye” whiskey 3-4 years old for much less. Kudos to Herman Mihalich and John Cooper for creating this Rye. This was my first bottle of Dad’s Hat but certainly won’t be my last. Looking forward to sampling their entire lineup. They have a Port finished Rye that I have to get my hands on….They also have a vermouth finished rye – sounds interesting but I may have to sample that one first.   Overall Grade:  B+

This one has been a bit ambiguous for me. The bottle says "rye," the initial nose has tones you'd find in a Speyside scotch and the flavor profile is like nothing I've ever tasted. It took 4 drams before I gained an appreciation for it. Some might think that's a bit much and I might be inclined to agree. If you're used to Canadian Ryes, this one might not be your bag. This one makes you work for it (finding the spice and the enjoyment) and although that might be fun for the adventure of it, it's not that great if you're looking for a reliable, enjoyable and spicy rye. (FWF share #40) Opened: 06/13/17 Finished: 01/30/18

I like it fine. My palate has been refined toward bourbon, so tasting a traditional rye is a different experience. As such, I'm not used to the spicy, almost minty kick of this rye, but it's still pretty tasty on the finish. I can taste the cedar/woody flavor and the heat on the finish is strong but surprisingly enjoyable. For now, I rate it somewhat high but need to dive into some more rye offerings to see how it measures up. But it's tasty and, I think, worth the cost.

I didn’t enjoy this at first, but it grew on me a little and then was embarrassed to see it so highly rated by experts. A nose of sweat and body odor, just like you’d expect from a whiskey called Dad’s Hat. But the finish is smooth for a whiskey, so I have to give them that.

I got very little spice. Cery very smooth and enjoyable No reason to put on ice. Would be great in cocktail with other strong spirits

Very traditional, and spicy, rye whiskey. Not my favorite. Tasted November 29, 2016 at Murray's Cheese Bar.