Templeton Rye Maple Cask Finish

Neat. Tumbler. Bottle is nearing retirement. Medium yellow-orange and a modestly oily appearance on the swirl. A crisp, bright aroma that permits very long nosings - oak, vanilla, and bell pepper. Dusty grain - rye and oats. The maple syrup is reticent until you wonder where its hiding, then BAM! There it is, front and center - thanks brain. Corn flakes. Definitely can see the reviewer's black tea and toasted pie crust components. Pretty clean and cohesive, but takes unreasonable effort to suss out the extra dimensions. Thin. Initial taste is sweet simple syrup - then the maple notes come back much more clearly on the tongue. Transitions quickly to a drying, vegetal, rye spice. Ethanol fumes are pervasive - oddly so since you can sniff this for weeks. It must behave quite differently once it has breached the fortress and can assault the sinuses from within. Nice and tingly afterward with oak astringency and lingering chocolate notes, more rye, cooked carrots, and pepper. There is appeal there, but the spice and fumes attack as much as they entice. Some promise to the formula, but ultimately more aggressive than would be preferred. Notably, does not seem showcase the cinnamon+Angostura/gentian profile (i.e. flavoring) typical of the standard releases, but perhaps it's there and just masked in the finishing. Okay, a second pour to conclude tasting notes means the bottle got fast-tracked and took the severance package. Honestly I used this mostly for Manhattans where the sweetness plus mule kick of fumes and rye played a bit better than most 51%ers do to my palate. Not terrible, but also not great. For the price, no regrets taking a flier on it, but nothing I will miss on the shelf now that it's gone. That's the definition of a 3-star rating to me.

I always want to dislike Templeton Rye especially since in their earlier years they were always very tricky about their marketing "history" and giving you the impression that they had this amazing old recipe from somebody's great grand daddy that made hooch illegally. Well, they got their rye from MGP and there isn't anything wrong with that! For this cask finish rye, there is a nice balance between the rye spice and sweet molasses from the maple barrel. Using rye whiskey with finishing barrels makes sense because you won't get the over sweetness that you can sometimes get with bourbon and wine casks.

Being a fan of Scotch vs whiskey, especially not a fan of Bourbon, I am drawn to Rye Whiskey like a moth to a flame for unknown reasons. Fantastic aroma, and almost overwhelming taste, I have discovered this local Iowa Rye Whiskey has no competition as its a class of its own. I can't stop sniffing it, just like I can't stop sniffing Macallan 12. Completely different aroma, but equally addictive. A good burn and a pleasant aftertaste makes me crave more. A nice direction away from Scotch.

Fantastic whiskey. Not what I expected at all. It has subtle sweetness that balance beautifully with the pepper and spice of the Rye. Love the fact that this is a genuine cask finish. A splash of water brings out further tones of red berries and walnuts. 46% abv is another bonus.

Awesome. We are a group of 5 whiskey enthusiasts and we all thought it was easily one of the best barrel finishes that I have tried. Also made a serious Manhattan with it tonight as we tested this both straight up and in a cocktail. Winner all round for us.

Just had a pour of this and was pleasantly surprised. It’s always been low on my try list but this was really really good. Very smooth. Reminds me of minor case a bit