Gift Guide 2015 - Rye!

What a year for rye whiskey - Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye was named whiskey of the year (for 2016) by Jim Murray of The Whiskey Bible, more and more distilleries are releasing amazing rye marks (I'm looking at you Russell's Reserve Rye Single Barrel), and experimental products like Alberta Rye Dark Batch are introducing new flavors to the American market - Rye and Sherry - together, forever.

One thing is clear, Rye is no longer an "old-school" spirit.  It is bold, sweet, flavor forward, and without a doubt, forward thinking.  The secret is out, and here are some of my favorites I tasted this year.

1.  When I traveled to Canada earlier this year, I tasted Canadian Club 100% Rye and was blown away.  I brought back a bottle through customs and the customs agent flat out laughed at the fact that I was bringing Canadian Club into the grand old U S of A, but really the joke was on him.  This stuff is delicious - its made from a single grain rye, aged for 7 years, and for $25 is a steal.  Expect notes of black cherry, brûléed orange, maple pie, black pepper and toasted oak.  Sadly, it's only available in Canada, so I recommend that you start begging your Canadian friends to bring it back for you.

2.  Next up is a bottle I've been obsessing over for a long time - Alberta Rye Dark Batch, known as Dark Horse in Canada, a whisky that won a Double Gold Medal at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  This whisky is a blend of 12 year old Rye, 6 year old rye, Bourbon and Sherry utilizing Canada's 9.09% rule, making a wonderfully fruity spirit great for sipping and even better for mixing.  It makes a magnificent Toronto Cocktail, and for the price it's easy to have it stocked in your home bar all the time.  $35

3.   High West Distillery has been making some really great Rye whiskeys for years including the Rendezvous Rye and the Double Rye, but their Midwinter's Night's Dram is a limited edition release that is something really special.  It starts with the 6 year old Rendezvous Rye and a 16 year old Rye, which are then blended and finished in French oak barrels previously used to age Port.  This full bodied whiskey has bold flavors of vanilla, plums, raisins, cinnamon, and baking spices.  This is a perfect rye for the holiday season, or any winter's night..if you can find it.  $80  

4. At the 2014 Canadian Whisky Awards hosted in Victoria Canada, the award for Excellence Innovation (as well as a Gold Medal) went to Masterson's 10-Year-Old Rye, a whisky that has since been close to impossible to find.  It's made with 100% Rye grown entirely in the Pacific Northwest.  Masterson's mills and mashes their grains, and then ferments the grains with dry yeast, creating a completely unique flavor profile for the whisky which is floral, woodsy, sweet, with a pleasant spiciness and a touch of cinnamon.  Get it where you can find it!  $80

5.  I'm a bit biased with this one, but I love Russells Reserve (I'm still waiting for my invitation to be officially adopted by the Russell family).  But I obsess over anything pulled by Jimmy Russell and released as a Single Barrel, and it is no different with the newly released (and freshly re-branded) Russells Reserve Single Barrel Rye.   I first tasted this release at Tales of the Cocktail and was completely blown away, it has a silky mouth feel, with fruity flavors of brûléed orange and apricot jam, with baking spices, subtle mint, and a warming spicy finish.  Must. Guzzle.  $70

6.   New York Distilling Rock and Rye is another discovery from this year's Tales of Cocktail, a lovely "bottled cocktail" of sorts, wonderfully drinkable for the laziest of cocktail connoisseurs.  It is a mix of rye whiskey, rock candy, sour cherries, citrus, and cinnamon that is spicy and sweet, and will have you coming back for more.  $32

7.  Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye has been kicking up quite a bit of dust in the last couple of months after being named Whiskey of the Year by Jim Murray.  The rumbles came loud and clear through the spirits world....wha?!?  But those of us who had tasted the stuff knew why - because it's amazing whisky!  It's bold in all the right ways, spicy with flavors of sweet apples, caramel, baking spices, and a lovely creaminess that makes it perfect for sipping.  $50

8.  Few Rye Whiskey is another exciting craft release, of a relatively younger rye of 4 years.  It's spicy, with creamy flavors of butterscotch, toasted straw, cinnamon, honey, eucalyptus, tarragon, apples, and cinnamon.  $74

9.  Wild Turkey Forgiven is a blend of six year old Bourbon and four year old Rye whiskey, originally a mistake made by a Wild Turkey employee in the distillery.  Fortunately for said Wild Turkey employee, Eddie Russell tasted the accidental blend and liked it so much he wanted to bring it to the market, and we can all thank him for that.  Forgiven is spicy and sweet, with rye flavor and the sweet baking spices from the bourbon.  It's great for cocktails and for sipping, an exciting addition to any liquor cabinet.  $56

10.   Another new Rye released in 2015 is the Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey, aged for a minimum of four years, and has a floral and apple forward nose.  On the palate it is spicy, with flavors of vanilla, apple, toasted straw, gingerbread, baking spices, dried cherry, and toasted almonds.  For Woodford fans the Rye will be a welcome addition, a lovely whiskey that is enjoyable for any occasion.  $50

11.  Another of my favorite Rye Whiskeys I've tasted as of late is Ryemageddon American Rye Whiskey by Corsair Distillery out of Nashville.  The whiskey is made from locally sourced malted rye grain and 20% un-malted chocolate rye grain, copper pot distilled in small batches, and then aged for just one year in 15 gallon American Oak barrels.  The final result is spicy, with flavors of chocolate, baking spices, orange marmalade, vanilla, and loads of black pepper.  It's a big whiskey that has lead the charge in the Rye Renaissance, and continues to be an exciting and forward thinking bottle of whiskey!  $64

Want more? 

Check out Davin de Kerommeaux's book Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert.

Gastronomista x Classic Specs Collaboration

As the most loyal of Gastronomista readers know, I find inspiration for my drinks pretty much anywhere....but sometimes I get a challenge!  Last month, Classic Specs reached out to me to create two cocktails inspired by their glasses frame colors Whisky Crystal and Dark & Stormy.

2 VIP Whisky Live NYC Tickets - Giveaway - CLOSED

Calling all NYC Whisky Lovers!  Love whisky?  Want to try ALL THE WHISKY?!?!

Good news!

I have 2 VIP Tickets to Whisky Live NYC, next week February 25th for two lucky winners!

: : : THE GIVEAWAY : : :

2 VIP TICKETS TO 2 WINNERS
$149 Value

Wednesday, February 25th  5:30 - 10pm

The admission ticket is all inclusive, and includes a souvenir Glencairn tasting glass, event program, full dinner buffet, live entertainment and access to the whisky sampling event.

Buffet on offer from 6pm to 9pm.

: : : HOW TO ENTER : : :

Leave a comment on THIS POST naming 10 of the participating brands.  HINT>>



*Extra entry* Re-Gram with the hashtag #GastroWhiskyLiveNYCGiveaway 

*Extra entry* Tweet and Tag #GastroNespressoGiveaway 
 

Giveaway closes Tuesday February 24th 10am EST. Winner will be selected randomly and will be emailed that day.

Thank you for Whisky Live for sponsoring this giveaway and GOOD LUCK! 

Whiskey You Should Be Drinking - Fall 2013

With temperatures dropping and Thanksgiving right around the corner, you're probably craving whiskey.  At least I am.  Here are some of my favorites of the season, many limited edition, some mainstay favorites.  Run, don't walk to the liquor store.  After all, it's cold out there.

1.  Auchentoshan Virgin Cask - (“ock-un-tosh-un”) virgin cask is a gorgeous limited edition Lowland whiskey.  Only 2,100 bottles of this ambrosia were produced, all triple distilled, and aged in new American Oak barrels (i.e. nothing has been poured into these barrels previously).  On the nose it brings sweet apple, candied orange, hay, cinnamon, and clove, with a touch of toasted almond.  On first taste you get lemon, gingery spice, a bit of heat with a minty mouth feel, and a finish of toasted oak and sweet, creamy creme brulee.  It sips very easily, a clean and crisp single malt a whiskey that could very well bring me into winter.  $86

2.  Peat Monster - 10th Year Anniversary Blend -  Peat Monster is a big, smoky, peaty whiskey, and one of my favorites.  The 10th year anniversary blend is a limited edition release of 5,700 bottles, a blend of whiskeys distilled from all over Scotland, and finished in first fill American oak, and French sherry barrels.  Be prepared for strong flavors of smoke, apple, and salt, rounded out with oak, spice, citrus, and caramel.  $99

3.  Cutty Sark - Prohibition Edition - I'm a big fan of this graphic black bottle that harks back to the days when bottles of smuggled booze used to float up on the shores of the North East.  It was made to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Cutty Sark, and the 80th anniversary of the ending of prohibition, and comes it at a hardy 50% ABV.  It's a strong and "challenging" whiskey that has a nose of peppercorn, lime, banana, toffee, and apple.  On the tongue the Prohibition Edition has flavors of sweet caramel mixed with the spice of green peppercorns, wood spice, honey, cinnamon, anise, with a finish of bitter and smoky burnt orange and jammy stone fruits.  $32 

4.  Bulleit 10 Year - Bulleit 10 year tastes totally different from Bulleit proper.  Where Bulleit original is spicy and hot, the 10 year is sweet, fruity, and almost jammy.  Made from a blend of corn, rye, and malted barley, distilled in a coppery still, and aged for 10 years.  The 10 year has some of the signature spicy flavors that come from the rye, but has the enhanced sweet flavors of caramel, vanilla, toasted almonds, and ripe stone fruits.  $50

5.  Johnnie Walker Platinum - I could wax on and on about how much I love Platinum 18 year Scotch.  It's a blend of select casks hand picked from 24 different distilleries, each cask aged at least 18 years yielding this gorgeous smooth whiskey.  On the nose it has aromas of bright clementine oranges, a subtle note of peat, vanilla, toasted almond, and has flavors of smoke, apples, caramel, dried fruit, and a bit of salt.  Platinum has a gorgeous finish, creamy, sweet and salty.  Platinum's touch of sweet smoke is not too overpowering, instead makes this whiskey a refined selection for someone who loves Scotch.  $98

6.  King's County Chocolate Whiskey - A gorgeous infusion of King's County corn whiskey with Mast Brothers Chocolate, that makes a chocolate spirit that is not syrupy or sweet.  Delicious as an after dinner tipple.  $24

7.  Collingwood 21 Limited Release Rye Whiskey - Canadian Whiskey gets a bad wrap.  Stereo-typically lagging behind beloved favorites, you don't hear much buzz about Canadian Whiskeys, which is about to change.  Collingwood is made in Ontario, a fertile region that provides rye grains, and granite basin fresh water.  Canadian rye is distilled three times through copper stills, and aged for 21 years in oak casks, and mellowed in toasted Canadian maplewood casks.  The maple helps make this whiskey the sweet ambrosia that it is - with flavors of citrus and sweet honey.  $63

8.  Whistle Pig - The Boss Hog - Some spirits are made with so much love and consideration it's undeniable.  Whistle Pig is one of them.  Created by Master Distiller Dave Pickerell as a special cask strength single barrel selection of their 24 of the finest 100% rye whiskey barrels, aged just over 12 years.  The Boss Hog is huge.  On the nose it has flavors of the best pie you've had in your entire life.  Cooked stone fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a low note of toffee and burnt sugar.  On the mouth is an explosion of flavor - fruit, spicy rye, clove, dark chocolate, huge flavors of oak and toffee, with a finish of mint and butterscotch.   The Boss Hog is not for the faint of heart, and at this price point, should be reserved for dedicated whiskey drinkers.  $149 

9.  White Pike - What is White Pike?  It's white whiskey, y'all!  I love White Pike, and I have to admit, I don't like many white whiskeys.  White Pike has flavors of sweet corn and toasted tobacco, a fantastic earthy note that performs well in cocktails or when poured on the rocks.  This white whiskey is a blend of organic spelt, corn, and malted wheat sourced from local farmers, distilled in a copper Holstein still by Fingerlakes Distilling, and is aged for 18 hot minutes for it to be classified as a whiskey.  $40