Delicate nose of lemongrass, fresh cotton, poppyseed muffin, rain water, light pine/spruce, and unmilled rye grains. Everything is light, clean, and airy. Zero ethanol. Thankfully the palate brings a little more oomph than the nose but overall still very “light” with lemon/lime zest, Ritz cracker, thyme, coriander, and maybe enough of a generic wood note to bring balance but not enough for you to say “oh yeah, there’s the oak”. The heavy citrus and overall flavor profile makes this an absolutely ideal summer sipper. Decently long finish takes things up yet another notch with cracked pepper, spearmint, mace, and clove. Mouthfeel is…you guessed it; light and airy. So light it’s like drinking a rye cloud. I did enjoy the journey from nose to finish as things got increasingly potent. More delicate than I like my ryes by a large margin but oddly satisfying as well. This is without a doubt the whiskey I would give to someone who has never tried a rye. At $58, the price is more than fair. A 3.75 that could rise to a 4.0 in the hot Arizona summer months.
Wilderness Trail Settlers Select Small Batch Rye
About this bottle
This small batch expression is made from a mash bill of local KY-grown 56% rye along with 33% corn, and 11% malted barley. It is entered into a 53 gallon barrel with #4 char at a lower proof than traditional rye whiskeys, between 100 to 105 proof, and matured in the upper floors of the distillery's warehouse for a minimum of 4 years, after which it is proofed back down to 105 before bottling.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 4 parsed reviews.
Really solid and creamy if not as nuanced as hoped. Lots of tart vanilla bean, hints of parsley, topped by cream soda. Lots to like a lot. Only a little to love.
I really liked this on first taste. A lot going on for a 5 year
Thick, warm, oatmill
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
