Kentucky Owl 10 Year Rye (Batch #3)

I usually like to work my way through half a bottle over many months before writing a review. So, consider this an emergency review. I opened this bottle less than a month ago, and it is all I want to drink these days. I have 60-70 open bottles and I cannot reach for anything else unless it’s to compare it this Owl. And yes, right now, I like this better than WhistlePig Boss Hog Black Prince, side by side, without hesitation. The Black Prince is a simpleton compared to the Wise Owl. If I could be gifted a bottle of whiskey, and I could choose between another bottle of The Black Prince or another bottle of Kentucky Owl Rye Batch #3, despite The Black Prince being twice as expensive, I would pick the Owl easily. My taste buds are having a full-blown revolution. A few months ago, I would have told you that I don’t like rye. I like malt whiskies, then mezcal, then rum, then bourbon, then cognac/Armagnac, then rye. I thought I didn’t like the rye profile - it tasted cheap. The “ryes” I did like had to be fancied up by wood finishing or blending shenanigans: Bourye, Midwinter’s, and The Boss Hog. What I didn’t like about most ryes was the blast of rye spices up front. It felt like uncivilized peasant whiskey. It’s all about timing, and the spices belong in the later chapters. With this Owl, there is rich cherry, raspberries, doughnuts, and cake in the welcoming opening of this whiskey epic. The full complement of rye spices come after. Dill, clove, coriander, and a little menthol builds towards a long finish. I still had the taste of rye in my mouth after brushing my teeth. I could still imagine the taste the next day. This whiskey is complex. If you cover your glass and walk away for an hour, it becomes dark, dark chocolate with some umami broth. The balance between spirit and oak is perfect. The age is appreciated. I abhor the telltale nuttiness of too-young bourbons or ryes. There is no nuttiness here, but also no oaky bitterness. Nowadays, peat rarely captivates my nose or tastebuds anymore. I can have a Laphroaig 10, Lagavulin 16, or Ardbeg 10 as a warmup dram. I miss the days I could still taste the smoke after I brush my teeth. But now, I feel as if I found my gateway into an exciting new realm of flavors that will linger if only because of unfamiliarity, but I suspect there’s true intrinsic quality to this whiskey as well. My rating system only goes up to 3 stars, but I have scored a few single malts 4 stars. I will, for now, keep this one at 3 stars, simply because I am a novice at this flavor profile and I may feel differently as I try more ryes. But I feel like I did many years ago when I first tried Lagavulin 16, which is, as Kia Jeffries once said in an Akinyele song, albeit referring to something different from whiskey: “Put it in my mouth.” Score: *** (she said put it in her mouth) How Much Does a Bottle Cost?: $170-230 How Much Do I Think a Bottle is Worth?: $410

So Kentucky Owl tends to be polarizing. Consensus is that the bourbon in particular is way overpriced; and while Batch 1 of the rye was mostly liked, Batch 2 didn't get much love (price hike probably didn't help). I tend to like the KY style of rye, especially the older ones, so I'd been curious about this one for a while. One of my regular local stores had Batch 3 in stock for a while at just under MSRP, so I ended up getting a bottle. I've had this on several occasions now, in fact I've gone through about 2/3 of the bottle with a buddy of mine, having a glass whenever we get together. So I figured it was time for a write-up while I still have some left. Nose - oak, vanilla, leather, rye toast, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg. Not super-complex, but really pleasant. The rye notes are not particularly dominant on the nose, but are definitely there. Palate - mouthfeel is somewhat oily, definitely not thin. Starts with brown sugar, vanilla, and dark chocolate, followed by greener notes of rye/spearmint along with some cinnamon/allspice. The finish is long, with those green rye notes lingering along with oak and a bit of caramel. The oak is present throughout, but without ever getting tannic/astringent. I like this a lot. Definitely one of my favorites of the ryes that I've tried. If I were to nitpick, I'd maybe like to see a little more rye character on the nose to add some complexity. But the palate is everything I want in a rye. One of my other favorites is Wild Turkey Cornerstone. In a side-by-side recently we gave a slight edge to Cornerstone on the nose, but preferred the palate on KY Owl enough to give it the overall win. I had some Willett 10yr Rye a while back in a restaurant, and going from memory I'd say this batch of KY Owl is in that league. I easily prefer it over Michters 10 Rye, TH Handy, and Lock Stock & Barrel 18 yr. So, is it overpriced? Well, I'd be happy if it cost less; but I don't regret buying the bottle, and am seriously considering a backup.

Neat. Neck pour. In Chicago for vacation again. Binny’s always has Kentucky Owl Rye. Almost bought one last year and decided to buy 4 bottles of other random things instead at the same price... huge mistake as all the bottles I got were just so-so. I would have rather had the quality over the quantity. Not making the same mistake this trip! Also tried Old Carter Rye sample a few days ago to make a nice comparison. This nose is much better immediately compared to that Old Carter. A layer of smoke on top of a Bear Claw. Reminds me of this casserole my friends mom used to make us during sleepovers growing up. I think she called it Monkey Finger? Similar to cinnamon rolls covered in a sweet cream icing. Starting to get lots of orange and vanilla as well, nice Dreamcicle. Nice layer of oak. Lots of clove coming out. The more I sit with it, it’s getting darker and darker. In love with this nose. Rich and creamy texture. Not as immediately flavorful as the Old Carter. It’s a more subtle experience. Orange zest and vanilla on the tongue with hints of cinnamon and clove. Oak has this deep presence. Mid palate things brighten up more than expected. The orange and vanilla really take off. Then the oak leaves this nice velvety layer of chocolate from mid palate through the finish. Then it’s all orange, citrus, rye spice, pepper, and vanilla on the finish. Lingers for a long time. It’s an amazing pour. I am going to grade it below the Old Carter Rye I had recently. The flavors are this more subtle, soft experience by comparison. The nose is what stands out over the taste. It’s a near perfect nose that hints at more flavors than the soft experience it delivers. Still quite enjoyable and a top tier rye in my collection now (implying it survives the rest of the vacation).

A lot more complexity than the regular Kentucky owl. It’s a little smoother, less burn, it offers some interesting profiles. I’m getting a dark chocolate and molasses tone, some fig and licorice in the middl. It finishes nicely with a kick, a pleasant yet tolerable spice that keeps you coming back again and again to figure out the cooled flavor profile. This is one of the more interesting bourbons out there. It’s not a familiar friend like weller reserve, not as smooth as an EH Taylor single barrel, but has a softer, and more complex flavor profile than a top end Handy Sazerac. Which, in this case, I would 100% prefer this over a rare Sazerac or small batch EH Taylor. It’s better all the way around. Not better than a single barrel though. It’s different, this is a must have to complete any bourbon collection.

You DO NOT need this bottle...but its very good. The nose is vanilla and clove for miles with yards of pickle and spearmint. The tastes has that boutique chili powder infused milk chocolate vibe. There is also a cinnamon cake foundation to the "spicy chocolate" ... This 57% rye is not the "Wise Mans Rye" at this price, but it will most likely compete if not blow away other rye's you blind with it... Bought this for a celebratory reason - which is a wife aimed excuse...but it is not worth a domestic dispute 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

I’ll start by saying this is an excellent rye. Very herbaceous with notes of green pepper, dill, oregano, rosemary. This is nicely offset with sweet notes of caramel and vanilla. Little licorice in between. Ends with some sweet oak, cherry cola and lingering menthol heat that sits in your chest. Tows the line really well between sweet and earthy notes. Reminds me a lot of Willett 4 year. Based on my first pour of this stuff, I’d go Willett all day long given the availability and price difference between the two.