Templeton Rye 4 Year

NOTE: This is my first post-COVID rating, so if it sounds like I have no taste, you might be right. (You might have been right pre-COVID too.) The nose is prickly star anise, fennel and carraway seeds. Wood lacquer. Pumpernickel bread. Black peppercorns, with a curious hit of vegetal green pepper / red capsaicin spice. The longer it lingers, I'm getting notes of candied prunes, if such a thing exists. I'm really enjoying the nose on this. The flavor is a surprising amount of prunes & figs; candied orange. Dry cinnamon spice. Almonds and pecans. There is a curious baby oil and candle wax taste, which matches the oily viscosity of the texture. The cinnamon/rye spice burns on the way down, which belies it's meager 80-proof. The finish is charred wood right off the bat. Brown sugar and mocha coffee grounds. Tobacco leaf and cowhide. Spruce/evergreen leaves. Camphor oil. Spent matches. Black pepper spices and sawdust, despite a rather short finish. I am still feeling my way through rye, but the more than I sample, the more I'm beginning to like them. Templeton cuts through my current taste bud deficiencies and offers a really complex -- but pleasant -- rye that works both neat and in a cocktail.

COLOR/ Golden Amber AROMA/ Pear, Green Apple, Fresh Churned Butter, Slight Wheat in the background FIRST SIP/ Sweet Cream Butter, Candied Sweetness TASTE/ Sweetness, Buttery, Smoothness, Bread/Yeast Sweetness, Slight Grass FINISH/ Smoothness, Slight Warming, Apples, Pears, Slight Vanilla, Nutmeg, Ever so slight Sweet Tart, Clean. There is a slight bitter tartness that lingers after you finish your glass. MT GLASS/ Butterscotch, Caramel, Wood, Slight Tobacco Age Statement: 4 Years Bottle D33TS: - Bottled Date: - Barreled On: - Barrel No. - Rick No. - 80 proof Date Reviewed: 10.02.2022 This is a remarkable bottle for the price! It is Smooth, Delicious, and not complex. There is not much rye spice here. We purchased a bottle and before we realized it, it was gone, because this is a smooth, tasty and easy to drink whiskey I would recommend purchasing two bottles. 95% Rye, 5% Corn or Barley - MGP Rye. Some say they add tasting additives, with this being said it is still a tasty beverage. Be Kind, Be Generous, Be Real, Be Responsible!!! CH33RS

Lime popsicle, sweettart candies, vanilla ice cream; lime sherbert, very sweet, medicinal notes, thin mouthfeel, some ethanol, virtually no finish. This is an old bottling I got for a hefty discount. I read somewhere that there may have been additives to this which is why it isn’t labeled as a straight rye. Ot certainly seems like it. It almost tastes to me like it has been blended with a neutral grain spirirt and maybe even some sugar. My evidence is 1) Its very, very light on the mouth. 2) I used this for a cocktail once and it actually seemed to amplify an ethanol note, almost as if neutral spirit was added 3) it is almost artificially sweet That said, there are a lot more unpleasant whiskey i have drank and it goes down sweet, smooth and easy. I won’t be rellacing this bottle but it is an interesting end of the MGP rye spectrum.

On the nose: Woody spices with a touch of green apple On the palate: A nice splash of heat with a cinnamon and brown sugar touch at the end The finish: Moderately quick with a note of Sweet Pear Overall: A fairly spicy Rye that’s an easy sipper if you’re looking for something casual. I do with the finish was a tad longer, but the flavor profile is nice, and I might pick this one up if I see it for around $30

Was skeptical going in, but this was not bad. I got honey and Graham crackers on the nose, with some caramel and floral notes on the palate. The finish was quick to almost nonexistent, but did have some hints of spice. Would be interested to try a higher proof version of this.

As expected, a smoother milder version of their normal templeton. While very easy drinking straight, it almost loses a little character but I could be being harsh. It does disappear quickly when drinking straight so be aware. 😀