James E. Pepper 1776 Barrel Proof Straight Rye

118.2 proof. Prior to a tour of the distillery several days ago, the only product I recognized from James E. Pepper was the Old Pepper rye in the tall, clear bottle, and always thought it to be rather overpriced for such a young rye. Today, with much more knowledge gained from the facility tour, I know now that that same bottle is their single barrel variant of this, the 1776 rye, but it is still steeply overpriced. Once I learned that the 1776 rye was an extremely small blend of only 6 barrels, I knew the single barrel was not needed, but the proof was still worth it; at $50, this seemed like an easy deal. I tasted the standard 1776 rye at the distillery, and now I'm hoping that there are more flavors to be discovered from the barrel proof version. For a #3 charred barrel and only 3.5 years spent in it, this whiskey has impressive color, while still a lighter body; think molasses that has been pretty heavily watered down. The scent can be picked up from several feet away, and as another surprise, it's actually sweet oak that's at the forefront, being a mix between floral notes of toasted oak, and classic vanilla and rum-sugar-sweetness from a more heavily charred barrel. There are grain notes, though, but the rye noses as if it's been aged and mellowed out for quite some time; usually 3 year rye whiskeys still have a potency of the cinnamon and herbaceousness. I believe the rye in this is not malted, so that may contribute to the less spicy notes. The initial flavor begins as mildly sweet oak, but the rye grain is also distinguishable at the same time, except through the gums instead of the tongue. There's a lot of the floral side of rye that comes out for most of the middle taste, which does help complement that sweet (but not overly so) flavor of the oak. The young age of the grain can't be ignored, however, since there is a raw element that contributes none of the traditional rye spice that is less than welcome. The finish is close to a sickeningly sweet area with some more toasted oak notes, but a few breaths and some time do allow some cinnamon and mint to make themselves known. I am slightly shocked that I dislike the barrel proof version over the standard 1776 rye. I'm attributing that to the barrel proof allowing more of the young, unmalted rye notes to pass through, which make it less focused on spices and herbs, my go-to notes for a rye whiskey. Having said that, the flavor of the grain itself is very fresh, which I always expect of rye whiskey from MGP. This is a neat alternative to the majority of similar rye whiskeys out there, and more special knowing that 95% of the mashbill is rye (a very proper rye whiskey mashbill indeed), so you know the flavors you're getting are all base essences of the rye itself.

So you know them, you may love them or not, but it's MGP and we all know exactly what they are capable of.... OR SO I BELIEVED. Just when I thought I had a full grip on the range of what MGP could do in rye distilling, a monkey named James Pepper comes along and starts slinging wrenches in my works. Given the accolades the standard 100proof Pepper rye has received how could this not be better, and once again we find the higher proof magic is still alive. If I had to guess I'd say this might be an 85/15 rye based on the extra richness and thick, malt like tones, below the lemon grass and pepper nose a detectable dark sweetness lurks and something certainly must be astray here. Along with the lemony sau grass (almost dill), ginger tea and hot spices the nose carries a bit of cola nut sugars and something more, some earthy almost coffee grinds bitterness. This is no ordinary rye and brings more to the table than any 95/5 I've experienced to date. What I don't detect is any obtrusive ethanol or acetates, strong and a bit harsh maybe but still not unrefined. A highly intriguing nose to be sure not for the rank amateur. Out front it's peppery spices, very warm and slow to develop, I like the way it builds to the finish rather than hitting hard and fading fast. The choco dark base develops maybe even a black honey arrives seconds after the opening blitz of spice. Did I say dark honey? This rye seems highly viscous for such a high proof. Even with hints of citric sweetness the bitter nut shells and dank earthy leather tones never lose their grip, amazingly heat free given the tongue numbing treatment it dishes out. The entire experience is though it moves through the mouth with a drinkers feel, meant to be sipped slowly. Turns out the Pepper Barrel proof rye is a bomb of rich earthy dank notes and some familiar rye spices, though they are understated in this form, maybe the real secret of 95 rye is in the cutting, as in DON'T DO IT. After sipping only a little over a shot I believe you will find more dark notes and sugars here, lurking. The minimal early sugars and array of earthy dry to bitter notes are a pretty special treat, kudos to the Master Distiller on this one. Have to agree with CTrexman this is going to be a rye for the experienced drinker and should probably be avoided by the noobs. Well done James Pepper and MGP... you really out thought the competition with the same source ingredients. For a serious veteran rye enthusiast this gets a high recommend. Cheers!

Got the last bottle at specs for $38. Most rye drinkers are familiar with MGP 95/5 mashbill as its the source for many popular brands. What sets this one apart is the 114.6 proof , natural color and non-chill filtered creating a robust oily whiskey. Poured neat, nose is menthol, clove, ginger, tea leaves, tobacco and a hint of maple. Its a very rich herbal experience. What im not getting is ethanol or the trademark dill note, maybe it will come in time. Palate is punch in the face of aggressive rye spice, strong peppery heat, more menthol and clove balanced with Terry's chocolate orange and honey sweetness. Mouthfeel is thick and clingy coating with flavor that rushes in like the Ride of The Valkyries and lingers. Finish is all day with chocolate orange, rye and clove spice leading to barrel oak, heavy char and fading menthol. This is legit rye. You know how the cask strength bourbons are richer and full of flavor well I guess same holds true for rye. Make no mistake , smooth this is not. We're talking grown mans rye not for beginners.This is a powerhouse whiskey that I highly recommend to experienced drinkers if you can find it..........88/100..........completely different profile than Pikesville but almost as enjoyable as a pure high %rye...........update: I pick up the dill after glass rests for a while but its shrouded in all the other notes

A 113.6 proof MGP, NAS rye for $40. Can this compete with the acclaimed Rosseville straight out of MGPs rickhouses? What about with new guys like Pinhook’s 4y Tiz Rye or the formidable Smooth Ambler ryes that again, are all MGP! Honestly, how can there be so much competition among bottlers/producers all using 4 to at most 6y MGP rye? Let’s find out... This one. Priced the same as Pinhook’s Tiz Rye. Why I picked this first, who knows. Light in color and relatively light on the nose. Light caramel notes, pepper, hint of dill and lemon peel (not unlike New Riff’s non-MGP high rye bourbon). Mash bill on this one is 90% rye with the possibility of some corn thrown in. Caramel, a bit of leather, dark chocolate and pepper, perhaps a puff of smoke and hint of #4 char barrel in there. Pretty dang good by my standards. Not as earthy or herbal as a 4y Willett and not as sweet or complex as the everlasting finish of Russel’s single barrel rye. I feel like I’ve seen at least one other enthusiast sipper refer to this as Mexican chocolate and in many ways I see the resemblance! Will have to go back for the Tiz Rye, grab a pour of a friends Rossville and possibly crack a recently unearthed Smooth Ambler 4y rye and let the battle rage on. This one certainly threw its punches today. Until next time MGP rye (next time Gadget, next time).

The nose has a strong hit of isopropyl alcohol. It tastes a little bit like somebody left a cigar and some lemon heads in a bit barrel of vodka. The sweetness is appreciated and the spiciness combined with the tartness does kind of suggest that it's rye, but this mostly tastes like a alcohol. It could be considered to be a good vodka, but it's a bit peaty. This is just way too mildly flavored and is too high of a proof. I wouldn't drink this unless I were looking for a more interesting substitute for vodka. The bitter undertone is unwelcome. This is a truly unique failure condition for a rye. There's definitely something a little herbal going on here, but it is hard to make out any distinct flavors over the proof. Adding some distilled water brings out some mineral flavors, but that just makes this worse. The smoke becomes more clear, which is reassuring, but not delightful. Surprisingly, it is harsher with distilled water added. There isn't really more complexity with water. This is pretty bad stuff. Maybe it would make good rocket fuel.

Open 3 months 58.7% abv, 117.4 proof Nose - Sharp orange and lemon peel, light dill, honeysuckle, butterscotch, light rye spice, medium ethanol. Palate - Citronella candle, honey, cereal grain, light cocoa, nutmeg, spicy rye, tannic oak. Medium-long finish with sharp oak and rye, citrus oils, bitter honey, and black pepper. This is a solid rye for the price, but it doesn't excel in any category. There are a few ryes in the $40-50 range I would rather buy again, but you won't be disappointed with this. Plus, with the classic rye flavors and high abv, it is an excellent mixer if you're not feeling it neat.