The Bourbon Life Review-Reclaimed & Recharred Finished Rye Whiskey
“The mouthfeel is thick, slightly tannic, and almost feels like maple syrup – combine that with the layers upon layers of flavor and you have an instant win.”
Proof: 110
Age: 4 years
Distillery: Midway / Bluegrass Distillers (MGP sourced)
Mashbill: 95/5 (rye/barley)
Price: $55
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Nose: Apricot, melon, mint, light dill, coffee grounds, musty oak, caramel, toffee, honey suckle, dark dried fruit (medley of raisin, fig, cherry), clove, nutmeg, dark chocolate.
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Taste: Tannic/Buttery mouthfeel. Bold caramel, butterscotch, toffee, musty oak, light citrus, honeysuckle, bell pepper, rye grain (slight hay/grass), fennel, mint, clove, cinnamon sugar, tons of dried fruit, and decadent vanilla.
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Finish: Medium-long finish. Bold dessert notes on the front, slight turn into layers of dried fruit – cherries, fig, and raisin, which is a nice addition to this mashbill, before turning into what everyone knows and loves – citrus and bold clove spice. Light earthy notes such as dill, fennel, leather, and slight honeysuckle are the baseline profile, which might throw some people off, but the extra sweetness really turns the finish up.
With just enough tannins and baking spice from the whiskey to add some depth to the end of the finish, the dried fruit and toffee stick around for quite some time.
Possibly one of the best double oaked rye finishes I’ve had in a long time.
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Overall: To preface: The finish on this rye is a used whiskey barrel that is sent back to the cooperage to be scraped clean and recharred (so a used “toasted” barrel) – even though this has been recharred, the used barrel adds a lot of softness to the 95/5 recipe.
With a heavy amount of decadent and fruit notes I don’t usually associate with the Indiana 95/5 rye mashbill, this is such an easy to kill rye. I know that because this is my second or third bottle of it.
You continue to get the typical 95/5 rye notes with the citrus, dill, fennel, and clove – but the added sweetness of the second barrel really rake this up a notch. It is hard to see anything else in this price point compete on this level. For $55(ish), you won’t find this quality of double oaked/toasted rye.
I love the front with the heavy caramel and the finish of leather and clove spice. It really shows the depth and complexity that is in this liquid and that the second barrel really does a lot to what is usually a pretty basic profile.
The mouthfeel is thick, slightly tannic, and almost feels like maple syrup – combine that with the layers upon layers of flavor and you have an instant win.
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Rating: 7.6/10
Value Rating: 8/10
Total Score: 7.8/10