Kentucky Owl 11 Year Rye (Batch #1)

Nose - (w/o water) Vanilla, dark butterscotch, herbal rye spice, dark caramel, light fruit, strawberry/cherry (w/ water) not much change, but sweet mint comes out. Taste - (w/o water) Spicy sweet cinnamon, dark butterscotch, light herbal/sweet mint, strawberry fruity oak (w/ water) More vanilla, butterscotch, more sweet mint, herbal spice Finish - (w/o water) Lingering cinnamon heat/tingle, sweet mint/herbal sweetness, light tannic oak, drying (w/ water) Lingering tannic fruity sweet mint, butterscotch Score - 83/100 Final Thoughts - This was quite tasty. Nice mix of rye spice and dark caramel/butterscotch flavors. Does well with a tiny bit of water in that it doesn't really change the flavors much, but softens up the ethanol burn and mellows out the heat nicely. It's got a lot going for it as a rye, but the only downfall I see is that it has a super long finish, but sadly it's an almost overly sweet mint sweetness that borders on splenda sweet territory. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - Not at the current prices. This bottle at most should be in the $70-80 range.

The immediate sense is that this has a lot of alcohol. The flavor is surprisingly subdued, emphasizing the rich, natural rye flavor with licorice and enough sweetness. There is a little bit of wood, but it is surprisingly little due to the licorice masking. The sweetness is kind of caramely. This tastes sort of like a young rye mixed with an opinionated gin. Its pure character stands out but I expect some more complexity and deep flavors from an aged spirit. The caramel is mixed with some butterscotch and there is plenty of vanilla. There might be a little marzipan too. The flavors that it does have do land nicely, but they aren't necessarily the flavors I want in a rye. It's good, but needs more complexity and a richer presence. Essentially, it shouldn't be marketed at the premium level that it is.

Potent nose of cherry cola, cinnamon, annise, birch, plenty of toasted oak notes, citrus peel, brown sugar, toasted marshmallow, to name a few. The complexity of the nose is intoxicating, i almost didn't want to taste it out of fear the palate would be a let down... The palate is no let down. Cherries, sweet oak, toasted marshmallow, smoke and charcoal, some of those classic cola roots, spices, and extracts, mouth-coating but not cloying and a finish that lingers for minutes. Gotta put this one up there as a top 5 rye because of the depth and expressiveness of the blend. I hear the later batches were not as good, glad I got to snag this one when I did. If you can find it and its not exorbitantly expensive, I would highly recommend this

Dark copper in color and a rich, dark, fruity nose with some obvious heat. There’s even some old wood on the nose if you work at it hard enough. Whatever it is, the aroma seems to be setting me up for a sumptuous treat. First taste is sweet and hot with a nice long burn. There’s plenty of wood to be had on the backend (😟I know...but the statement is still valid). My nose wanted it to be a tad thicker and oilier, but no complaints here. Every sip gets progressively better as it settles down. As expected, a few drops of water adds fruit characteristics (especially citrus notes at the back/top of my mouth) and a creamier mouthfeel. Surprisingly though, the pleasant burn is still strong and steady. 4.27.

Lucky that i picked this batch 1 owl after this was released few years ago. This rye is 11 years old thats way longer than most ryes in market with age statement and good amount of proof which preserves those aromas and flavours which is not findable in other ryes. It is very pleasant on nose with notes of spices , oak , some butter and is complex . This rye feels delicious in mouth hitting every spot .its fuller , richer , sweet, spicy . Great rye i’ve tasted so far . I find this better than some thomas h handy releases . Would be great if price was somewhere around £100 - £120 .

Certainly not worth it's usual $200 shelf price. I was lucky enough to try this at a tasting event with many other quality bourbons. I think if you went into this blind, you would not be as impressed as you otherwise might be by the air of mystique normally around this. It's definitely good, but it shouldn't have the reputation it does.