I’m taking a break from my Woodford series since my fellow Austin Bourbon Hunter @texasdrinker nabbed a bottle of Cornerstone on Friday and brought it over for a tasting. We did a blind taste off against Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye as u/rarebird101 suggested and I threw in a couple of my favorite ryes as well.
This was a single blind tasting(meaning we knew which ryes were on the table but had no idea which was which) and we’d both had a drink already that day, Whistle Pig 10 year for me and 2017 GTS for him.
First up are the raw notes I took during the blind tasting. Over the rest of the weekend I sat down with each whiskey 1 by 1 and wrote some more detailed notes which are included below.
The Blind
Blue
Nose: spicy, fruity, rye forward, slightly harsh
Taste: rye spice, dark red fruit, thick mouthfeel
Finish: long spicy, lingering dark chery, rich oak
Guess: Willet 6
Blind Rank: 3
Reveal: KO
Red
Nose: soft, earthy, subtle, herbal
Taste: started really, sweet backs off, herbal,
Finish: medium, more subtle, sweet
Guess: KO
Blind Rank: 1
Reveal: Willet 6
Yellow
Nose: caramel, vanilla, rye spice
Taste: herbs, caramel , vanilla, rye spic
Finish: Short to medium, slight burn in throat
Guess: RR SiB
Blind Rank: 4
Reveal: Cornerstone
Green
Nose: rich oak, rye bread, herbs, sweet vanilla
Taste: rich oak, sweet caramel, cherry, faint tobacco
Finish: very long, rye spice that builds up as it goes, hints of sweet caramel
Guess: Cornerstone
Blind Rank: 2
Reveal: RR SiB
Follow up tasting notes and ratings
Cornerstone
Nose: Soft with vanilla, caramel and rye spice notes with some faint herbal notes in the background.
Taste: Rich herbs, caramel, vanilla, rye spice and a bit of cherry at the end. Very nice mouthfeel.
Finish: Medium length finish with rye spice, black pepper and a slight, longer lingering burn in my throat.
Overall sitting down with a 2oz sample of this didn’t really change much. I was able to find that cherry note Rarebird101 and others have talked about but the finish was still not doing all that much for me. There was a bit of black pepper and a slight burn that lingered in my throat but I don’t think of that as a long finish.
7 - a great whiskey I’d order at a bar
Poor - Overpriced, not worth the money
Kentucky Owl Batch 1
Nose: A very nice blend of rye spice, dark fruit and sweet honey.
Taste: More rye spice, dark cherries, cinnamon and a thick mouthfeel
Finish: A long spicy finish with lingering dark cherry, rich oak and cinnamon
I enjoyed this during the blind but I enjoyed it a good bit more outside the blind. Either way it’s an excellent whiskey and while the price increase and quality slip on batch 2 are disappointing I’m still glad I grabbed this bottle at MSRP.
8 - an excellent bottle I’ll buy from time to time
Fair - Worth the money, happy with my purchase
Willet 6
Nose: Soft earthy nose with rich herbal notes and a faint sweetness.
Taste: The taste starts off really sweet but then backs off to more herbal and slightly spicy notes. Top notch mouthfeel.
Finish: Medium to long with more subtle spic, herbs and faint sweetness.
I’ve already blinded this against a few other Willet ryes and I preferred the 4 year small batch to the 6 year single barrel. I tried them again side by side, eyes wide open and still preferred the 4 year. It has a lot more dark fruit notes which is a huge plus for me. The 6 year is subtle, in a good way, herbal and slightly sweet with a bit of spice on the finish. I still really enjoyed it but I won’t be seeking out another one though I am looking forward to the 5 year small batches dropping soonish.
8 - an excellent bottle I’ll buy from time to time
Poor - Overpriced, not worth the money
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye LL/GA240348
Nose: Strong nose without being harsh with rich oak, rye bread, herbal and vanilla notes.
Taste: Rich oak, sweet caramel, cherry and tobacco notes are backed by a very nice mouthfeel.
Finish: Very long finish with tons of rye spice that aren’t quite balanced by the hints of sweet caramel and tobacco.
I’d only had RR SiB rye once before this blind and was very underwhelmed but this bottle was fantastic. I’m left wondering if I just managed to grab a honey barrel this time. I guess the only way to find out is to drink several more! Rye whiskey still isn’t my favorite but barely legal ryes like this are helping bring me around.
8 - an excellent bottle I’ll buy from time to time
Great - A great deal, I’d buy it again
Conclusion
First off these were all great whiskies but I’m not sure I am top shelf rye guy. In the rye world high age statements seem to matter even less to me than they do in bourbon or scotch. I enjoyed all 4 of these whiskies but the 2 youngest ryes were my favorites. I had a lot of fun doing this blind tasting and sitting down with these whiskies after the fact and am still determined to find an unfinished rye that really blows me away.