Lip Service Rye Whiskey

Lip Service Rye Nose: The first time you pop the glass cork you are met with the strong smell of fermented grapes. Pours into the Glencairn the color of a new penny. "Dry" applies to most of the nosing notes. You get the Red Wine and Dried Fruit, Leather, Citrus, and Black Pepper. Some Dried Corn? A hint of Dill? Dry Spices and hints of Dry Wood. Think an old weathered untreated plank of Barn Wood. The nose is very promising. Neat: A general overall Sweetness, but also Peppery and Tingly. Again, a general "Dryness". There is so much going on that it is hard to pin down. Red Wine from the secondary barreling is prominent. Toasted Marshmallow, Dark Berries, Drying Oak, all precede a smooth tingling finish that leaves a coating of Drying Oak and a sweetness reminiscent of Honey & Beeswax. Splash: A little water really accentuates the "wine-y" character of the nose. The overall character becomes Less Dry. The fruit notes transition from dried to fresh. It picks up a gingerbread note on nose and palate. Very Unique. I could nose this one all day. On the finish, the coating starts to remind me of the hard pink Bubblegum that was always stuck in your pack of Topps Baseball Cards. Verdict: I went in knowing it was gimmicky, but still expected to like it. I was wrong...I LOVED it! This may be the best example of barrel finishing an American Whisky that I've had...And at a great price of $32.

As mentioned in an earlier tasting note I went to a local place called Oak and Steel - a wonderful whisky, craft beer, and wine bar. They have over 50 different whiskies and only serve neat, or with one hand cut ice cube on request. No drink mixers. Just the way it should be! The prices were so reasonable as well. Before going into Oak and Steel I studied their offerings and decided what I would try based on reviews here on Distiller. I had to have a plan of action! I am so glad I listened to the reviews on here and went for Lip Service! While I do not have a lot of experience with Rye I am finding it is to my liking. Let's get to it... Nose: Melon, Peach, Apple, and a light vanilla aroma. Mostly fruit all the way around Nice legs on the glass. Flavor: A lovely full mouthfeel of sweetness, baking spices, Caramel, and Fruits, specifically and most outstanding were peach and berries! This one made me giggle - when it comes to food and drink if I am giggling I LOVE it. This is a must add to my small, but growing collection. (Edit: Snagged two bottles for 32.00 each! Felt like a good enough price to get the last 2 they had!) Ratings have nothing to do with cost - just my impressions.

Nose: Vanilla, fruit, sugar. Banana chips. Oak. Lactic tang. Prunes. Cereal grains. Slightly herbal, though not by much. A touch of baking spices. Palate: Honey, caramel, vanilla. Figs. Icing. Browned butter and honey. Dense and rich. Nutmeg, allspice, the slightest black pepper. Smoked paprika. Lower and mid palate are out front, with not much upper palate, though I'm not mad about it. Slight maple quality happening. Medium-light mouthfeel. Mild tannin. Finish: Maple, browned butter, roasted salted nuts. Vanilla and oak. A pop of ethanol shows up, and then things shift into lemon and lime, mint, dill - there's the rye herbaceousness. Apricots, too. Things slowly fade off on that fruity/vanilla/sweet note. Medium length finish. Other notes: I first got hip to Dave Phinney by way of Splinter Group, and his Savage and Cooke label is an excellent follow-up. Whip Saw rye is one of my all time favorite whiskies, and the DNA from that is all over this. A little more refined, less sugary sweet, and overall more complex, this is a lot of fun. Well executed, and something I would very likely buy again.

So @dubz480 gave this one a thumbs up and there was quite a conversation that ensued afterwards about the potential sourcing of this rye. Let me say after procuring a bottle of this I’m also a believer that there’s more than likely a little Dickel tickle in this one. Slight wood, anise & baking spices on the nose, that is where the rye similarity ends for me. The body was a complete surprise and I think that’s where Dickel comes in. I’m no Tennessee whiskey expert but you can detect the limestone mineral similarity that exists here. The body is truly balanced for a young 3 yr old, traditional wood barrel notes with raspberries and baking spices, the finish is fruity and fun and lingers nicely... it’s the berries. Much sweeter than I expected in a rye but it is extremely approachable, completely different, non typical, barely qualified rye that is fun and different and definitely worth a try. This isn’t just lip service, it delivers a very unique rye experience and at this price I’ll keep it around. ...for the record I found the bottle packaging too hokey, then again I’m an Old Dude.

I have to say that I’ve wanted to try this for months but the packaging is a turn off to me so I resisted it. I think Dave Finney (of Orin Swift Winery fame) would do well to put this pretty copper colored Rye in a slightly more conventional clear bottle with a less provocative label. What’s inside is pretty amazing for less than $30, though. Others have suggested that it’s Dickel sourced, which is likely although I think the actual juice originated at MGP in Indiana. They offer the same mashbill as used in Redemption Rye. Whatever the machinations, the finishing in French Syrah barrels does add a slightly fruity complexity to the mid-palette and finish, with a “high corn rye mash” that spilts the difference between Rye and Bourbon in sweetness. On second thought, it seems to be sitting on the shelves at my local Total Wine so now that I’ve discovered it—perhaps they should leave the stylized but homely packaging alone so I can buy all they have.

I know this is a rye, but it drinks more like a juicy bourbon with fruity, cherry qualities. Thinner, perhaps, than I would like and missing some of the grassy spice character I usually associate with rye. I wrote that first paragraph before looking this up and learning that this is Rye finished in French wine barrels. It certainly tastes like it. That might explain the thinness but I still think this would benefit greatly from a slightly higher bottle proof. The bourbon-like character is also explained by the mashbill - barely a rye at 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley. Is that what the "lip service" refers to in the name?