Wilderness Trail Settlers Select Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye

Without a way to thread posts on Distiller I will point out that this is part of a series of posts regarding Bulleit, Wilderness Trail and James E. Pepper distillery tours. Coming from their wheated offering, to their high rye offering to this I can say there is a clear progression. For a rye it is highly unusual though. What shines through is their butterscotch note, something I don't get on any other rye. The palate carries forward the toffee and butterscotch notes and adds oak, black pepper and now a bit of rye roll. The overt sweetness is probably due to, at least in part, the sweet mash process. I think I honestly prefer sour mash for that slightly acidic bite it tends to yield but to each their own. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy. If you want a truly unique rye and don't want a ton of spice then look no further. If you like more heat and spice or are a fan of 95-100% herbal ryes then this is not your thing. I could pontificate on age and complain about youth but I would not hesitate to plunk down cash for a 6-7 year offering of this if the spice notes build. Of all their current offerings their 24% rye mash bill, 4y BiB bourbon seems to be my personal favorite. You may be different and if you have $50-75 to burn then I encourage you to explore their offerings because I love what they're doing. If value is your thing I would say hold off on anything besides the 4y 24% rye if you're a butterscotch/toffee fan because, well, it's just expensive stuff thanks to paying for new infrastructure. Next up is James E MGPepper...

Aroma- nice balance of rye and oak. Getting a slight dark fruit note, caramel and apple. Hints of hay.. Solid but nothing to write home about. Taste - a bit perplexing. Unique first sip…Rye and cherries come to mind… Proceeding sips, spearmint and caramel come forward… little herbal notes… Comes in a little on the harsher side with the heat. Most will probably prefer a cube or sphere to open it up. Overall—- this is a barrel strength which price point is normal for… but honesty it’s over priced and by quite a bit to be frank. $15-20 at a minimum based on flavor alone… I really hate to be negative on any new distillery but this bottle is nowhere near its price. There are just simply too many better options than this at the price range. … Rare Breed Rye or Willet 4 year are insanely superior to this… Hell… Redwood Empire Lost Monarch far superior and that one comes in around $30.

Barrel 16B21U 51.5% ABV 103 proof Copper color. The nose has bubble gum, allspice, ground cinnamon, honey, faint anise and green tea. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and hot. The palate has buckwheat honey, nutmeg, rye grass, spearmint leaf, cumin seed, and anise. The finish is long and dry, with raw cinnamon stick, fresh cut grass, and anise. Compares favorably with a Willett 4yr, but just a bit too much anise for me. Note: I tried this in a 50/50 bourye blend with the Wilderness Trail single barrel BiB bourbon and it is excellent. The bourbon seems to tame the spice of the rye, especially the anise note, while the baking spices shine and act to amplify the sweetness of the bourbon.

DSP-KY-20005 Barrel No: 17E24-2 ABV: 52.5% Proof: 105 Age: 4 years 5 months Barrel: ISC #4 Char Rickhouse location: A-N1-F8 Yeast Strain: FemPro 1 Liquor Lineup store pick Nose: cinnamon, spice, honey and brown sugar lead the way with herbs and leather swirling. Wet bark can be found with some air and time. Gramcrackers comes to mind. Taste: spicy front with cooking herbs and cinnamon. Finish: medium viscocity and long finish of herbs and tea. This was the first pour of the fresh bottle that was glassed for 20min before the review. I’ll need to visit this again. I wanted a bit more oak to compliment the spice. Overall killer bottle.

Another contestant in our recent rye whiskey tasting. Picked this up along with a few other expressions of theirs on our KBT trip this spring. The high rye and wheated bourbon were quite good. So, being a rye guy, I had high hopes for this one. And for the most part, it didn’t let me down. Nose is sweet, and the rye spice is present on the palate, followed by a nice cinnamon red hot, medium length finish. But honestly, I’m hoping that things improve now that we’ve cracked this one open. Pretty good as it is if it doesn’t, but like I said; high hopes…

This is a pick from the Brass Mug in Michigan. The flavor on this is bright and expressive, yet deep and complex. Some light mint with sweet spice and a candy fruitiness. This would do a lot better if it weren’t for the smell. It’s almost akin to vomit for me - something guttural. If not for that, I’d be all over this.