Devils River Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $27

- 90 Proof

- NAS

- Texas

So, in a previous post I told the story of how my father-in-law had tried this rye whiskey and he wanted me to try some, so rather than bring his bottle over to share, he stopped by his store and bought both the Devils River Bourbon and the Rye Whiskey.  As I was lying on my recliner, he walked in the door and unceremoniously dropped both bottles right into my lap. Once I got over the pain, I looked inside the bag to find both bottles, and I thanked him profusely, because, after all, who doesn't like free bourbon?!?

That being said, I was a bit gun shy going into this bottle. I started with the bourbon, and it really did not do a whole lot for me at all. In fact, I quite hated it. But, ryes tend to hold up better at a younger age, and I've always found that trying a rye from a small, craft distiller tends to be a less riskier proposition than trying a young bourbon. And so, with that in mind, I tried my best to keep the bad experience from the bourbon out of mind and tried to enjoy this rye with no prejudice.

From the pop of the cork I noticed that this whiskey actually had a really nice aroma.  Yes, I was still gun shy despite my best efforts, and I was expecting that over-ripe apple that I get from young whiskeys. However, what I got was a healthy amount of cinnamon, like red hots candy, mixed with vanilla.  I also got some black pepper spice that tickled my nostrils (that seems weird just typing it, but you get what I mean). There was some sweet corn notes, showing its youth, but also a light orange peel scent. All in all, it worked pretty well together and I found my self nosing my glass quite a bit.

The flavor lacked some of the sharp or rough edges that I was expecting to get. Granted, that could be due in part to the lower proof, but it came across as soft and inoffensive. It certainly had some typical notes of a young whiskey. I got a slight note of overripe apple that I associate with young whiskeys, but it wasn't a very strong note, and it really didn't detract from the other flavors that were going on.

I got a lot of warm cinnamon and brown sugar notes, like some sort of cookie -- perhaps a chocolate chip cookie, but with cinnamon chips instead of chocolate chips (I may have to try this!).  It also had a light cocoa powder note to it as well, making this somewhat dessert-like, but like a less sweet dessert.

I did get the orange peel, and it actually came across stronger on the palate than on the nose. Along with that I got some nutty notes, like nutmeg and even at times that bitter walnut shell flavor. Perhaps it was kind of a peanut skins note.

Overall, this was actually a pretty decent whiskey, and a far cry better than its bourbon brother. With so many craft whiskeys, they come with a hefty price tag to cover the cost of producing and bottling whiskey, and to turn a profit. I'm not sure how Devils River gets away with it, but the price tag on this bottle is great! At only $27 a bottle, this is well-worth taking a flyer on. It's not the best rye I've ever had, and I don't think anybody would expect that it would be. But, for that price, it's a really good product.

Grade: B

Devils River Small Batch Texas Bourbon

VITALS:
- $25
- 90 Proof
- NAS
- Texas

My father-in-law has been getting more and more into whiskey lately, and, accordingly, he has been branching out on the whiskey he's been trying. One evening he was telling me about this rye that he sampled at a little store near him, and he liked it so he bought a bottle. As he was telling me the story, though, he couldn't think of the name of the brand. That same evening, he was out running errands, and when he stopped by my house, he literally dropped a bag with two bottles of booze right into my lap as I sat in my recliner.

Curious as to what this brand was he was telling me about, I opened the bag to find two bottles of Devils River whiskey, a rye and a bourbon. I had never heard of Devils River before this, and despite my generally negative experiences with Texas whiskeys, I was still somewhat intrigued. And, in inspecting the label, I couldn't hep but smile when I read the words "Sin Responsibly" right below the Surgeon General's warning.

That intrigue, unfortunately, waned pretty quickly. The nose was harsh. I got primarily young corn and ethanol. These were really sharp notes that seemed to sting the senses. It also had that overripe apple note that I always get with young bourbons. I don't know the age of this whiskey, but it couldn't have been much over two years.

The palate was a little bit more forgiving than the nose. I was surprised at how smooth it was, having expected to get harsh notes and burning sensations based on what I was getting on the nose.

Of course it had lots of corn notes, like canned corn. It had a certain amount of bitterness, almost a tannic quality. Yet it didn't have the wood notes that seem to go with it. It seems weird to have one without the other, but it had that astringent quality to it.

It also had a black pepper quality at the end which, if this bourbon had the traditional sweet and rich caramel, toffee and vanilla notes, would have worked really well. Without those notes, however, it just came across as hot without the flavor.

I wish I had more to say about this bourbon, but it was just hard to drink. It needs significantly more time in the barrel. It's young and undeveloped, and the flavors that are there are a bit rough.  My father-in-law agreed. He found it unpalatable, and yet he still speaks fondly of the rye.  I'll have to give that one a try soon, as young ryes seem to hold up better than young bourbons do.

Grade: D+

Quick Hits: Knob Creek Goose Island - Austonian Texas Whiskey - High West Bourye - High West Pinot Finished American Prairie Bourbon

Sometimes I find myself enjoying a bottle so much, that before I even have a chance to pause and pay attention to what I'm drinking, what I'm tasting, or to even take notes, that bottle is gone. It would be easy enough to just not bother reviewing it, and wait until I finish my next bottle to which I've given a bit more attention.

However, when I do go through a bottle so quickly (always with friends, of course -- I try to make it a point not to drink an entire bottle in one sitting when I'm drinking by myself), it's often due in part to the fact that it's really good whiskey. So, why shouldn't you hear about it, even if it doesn't provide all those bullshit tasting notes that nobody really believes I'm tasting anyway?!?!?

So, below are my quick hit reviews from the four bottles of bourbon myself and some friends finished last weekend during our annual guys' ski trip:

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Goose Island Private Select Barrel #5555

VITALS
- $40
- 120 Proof
- 12 years, 9 months
- Barrel #5555
- Kentucky

This was the bottle we enjoyed the first day of our trip. It was the first thing we cracked open when we got to the condo to toast the rest of our upcoming trip. More importantly, it was a really damn good whiskey, and we realized right off the bat that we had something delicious and potent here. I've had Barrel #'s 5556 and 5558 for comparison, as did one of my other friends on the trip, and we both agreed that we liked this Barrel #5555 the best. It was bold and strong, with nice spice overlaying molasses and vanilla. It was complex with a nice, oily mouthfeel that left a long, drawn out vanilla finish that (dangerously) had us going right back for that next sip, and then that next pour. My friend had previously had a Knob Creek private selection that was one of the best whiskeys I've ever tried, and he couldn't help but make a direct comparison. This bourbon was, in many ways, exactly what I look for in a bourbon, from flavor to texture to proof to price. It's a shame it's going to be hard to come by again (though the collectability of these bottles means more than a few are going to hang around for a while).

Grade: A

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Austonian Texas Whiskey

VITALS:
- $26
- 90 Proof
- Texas

This was the surprise of the trip. We opened this bottle not knowing what to expect. However, given the price and the region, we expected it to be not so great. To the man we knew immediately after the first sip we were wrong! Although it's not bourbon, nor does it try to be, it is nonetheless a sweet, delicious whiskey. It's on the sweeter end, but it does a great job of doing what it seems to have set out to do. This was also the whiskey that accompanied me on the slopes in my hip flask, so I enjoyed this one in multiple settings. The most prominent flavor here was oatmeal cookie. I'm not sure what it is, but every time I took a sip, I kept coming back to that same note of oatmeal cookie.  And I really liked it! Something about it worked! It was a sweeter whiskey, but not a too-sweet whiskey. It certainly was not "rough" as I've heard some Texas whiskeys described, and it certainly did not have the harsh qualities that other "rapid-aging" or "alternative aging" whiskeys I've tried have had.


Grade: B+

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High West Bourye Limited Sighting Blended Whiskey - 2018 Release

VITALS:
- $80
- 92 Proof
- Batch 17L21
- Utah, Indiana

We happened to be in town and, even better, at the distillery on the day that this year's Bourye was released. Of course I wasn't going home without a bottle. I did the same thing last year and that bottle went very quickly. This year was no different. Having had last year's as my most recent and direct comparison, that's what I immediately did was compare the two, and this year's, to me (at least from what I remember) was just a little better than last year's, which I thought was great. As with last year's, it had a unique nougat character that I really enjoyed, a sort of sweet, soft and creamy quality that seemed to envelop the more traditional vanilla and caramel flavors, and provided a nice contrast to the lightly cinnamon-spiced, finish. I thought this was a delicious blend of bourbons and ryes that really captured some amazing flavor. Curiosity got the best of me, and I should not have been surprised at my love for this year's release given its make-up:

2018 Batch (New Label - year two):
All sourced from: MGP, Lawrenceburg, Indiana
14yo - 95% rye, 5% barley malt
13yo - 95% rye, 5% barley malt
12yo - 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt
11yo - 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt
11yo - 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% barley malt

That's some well-aged bourbons and ryes which High West did an incredible job of blending to create an absolutely delicious whiskey!

Grade: A

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High West American Prairie Bourbon Pinot Noir Finished Private Selection

VITALS:
- Not Available for Resale
- 106.6 Proof
- Finished 1 year, 9 mos.
- Bottled for Utah Whiskey Drinkers Union
- Utah

This was a special treat from a very good friend of mine at the High West Distillery, who accepted our invitation to our Super Bowl Party on our last full day in Utah. We had a chance to try a sample of this Pinot finished American Prairie while we were at the distillery, and all five of us were floored at just how good it was! Apparently this is a private bottling for a local whiskey club. As such, it's not available for retail whether at the gift shop or otherwise. However, we were nonetheless able to obtain a bottle through the good graces of our guy, and it still didn't disappoint. This was unanimously the best whiskey of the trip, and one of the best whiskeys I've had in quite some time. The flavor is fruity, but it doesn't overpower the bourbon. Rather, the dark raspberry, cherry and plum notes from the Pinot finish blend perfectly with the blended bourbon to create a silky, sweet and delicate whiskey that we could have enjoyed by the pint. Soooooo good!!!!

Grade: A+