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John David Albert's Taos Lightning Single Barrel Straight Rye 5 Year
John

John David Albert's Taos Lightning Single Barrel Straight Rye 5 Year

Whiskey Rye New Mexico 5 Year 45% ABV
$$$ $50 to $100 Premium Above average whiskey
14 reviews raw average 3.67
89 critic score out of 100

About this bottle

Taos Lightning is a brand that was originally founded by Simon Turley at Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico in 1820, popularized by frontier settlers. John David Albert was a distillery worker who was one of a few men who held off a siege at the distillery during the Taos Pueblo Revolt, during which Turley was killed and the brand with it. Now resurrected by KGB Spirits, this rye is made with 95% rye and 5% wheat. It's aged a minimum of 5 years in a dry climate warehouse at a high elevation that is exposed to the elements.

How it tastes

Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.

Rich 70
Sweet 70
Full Bodied 70
Spicy 40
Herbal 30
Vanilla 30
Fruity 20
Smoky 15

Reviews

Showing the most detailed of 6 parsed reviews.

Dreaming of Islay 3.0

This rye seems like hipster catnip. It's a single barrel rye from a small distillery in New Mexico, under a revived brand from the early 19th century whose founder was killed during the Taos Revolt of 1847, and named after a distillery worker (Albert) who fought in a siege during that revolt. This rye is five years old, so similar in age to Sazerac. I also get a very similar profile to Sazerac in the nose and palate: scents of coffee along with a clear rye base; pears, pineapple, plenty of rye spice, and that cleaning solution impression; and a smooth finish that is mostly sweet and not as spicy, with a rich mouthful of bread and grain. It's $60 a bottle, so not cheap for a rye, but worth trying.

SFW 2.0

I agree with Dreaming-of-Islay’s comment about hipster catnip. And, just like hipster catnip, this is a bunch of nothing. This does not compare favorably to Sazerac and it’s twice the price. I’m a NM native and the marketing got me.

JamesKlein 3.0

Tough stuff. Pretty bitey. Cinnamon flavor. Had at La Choza in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

mandretti 4.8

Rich flavor, spicy and sweet, smooth. Underrated for sure.

mandretti 4.8

Great flavor, smooth, not too sweet

hbayard 4.3

Honey and spice. Nice neat.

Tastes like this

Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.

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