Reader Review: Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey

[Uisge]

Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey-think hot cinammon bun!




This is a product of Tuthiltown Spirits out of Gardiner, NY, and I received it as a gift from a friend out in Noo Joiyzee for a combination birthday/Christmas gift.

At roughly $50 for a 375ml bottle I don't plan on making it a regular habit, especially when I can get the Bulleit Rye at half the price for double the amount (and so what if Bulleit Rye is only 95% rye? It is quite tasty, smoother and doesn't lack for the 5% that isn't rye, imo). I tried this in a Celtic Malts Whiskies Of The World Expo Glencairn glass.

The nose: honeysuckle and cinnamon, some alcohol heat but not harsh. Rye bite.

Taste, neat: Hot rye bite that fades to a smoldering ember of cinnamon, raisins, oatmeal with brown sugar, some kind of floral note in the background that eludes me at the moment, hint of cherry.

After some time a cardboard, glue and mint note, and a pleasing astringency that clears the palate.

This would probably be perfect in the cocktail it is named after.

Not bad stuff, but for me I would go for something a little less pricey (aforementioned Bulleit Rye), unless the option to try either of the Buffalo Trace rye products (Thomas H. Handy or Sazerac Rye 18YO) presented themselves...and no, I haven't had either of them....yet


*******
Capn's Log: Thank you for a lovely review of a rye we will likely never buy. The only exception we'd make would be for Pappy Van Winkle's 15.

[Uisge]

I must admit I have a limited experience with rye whiskies (Hudson, Bulleit, and Anchor Distilling Company's 18th Century Style Whiskey very early in my exploration of whiskies, and I was quite unprepared for THAT one )

Regarding Anchor Distilling Company, you might have heard of their sister distillate offerings of gin (both London Dry style in their Junipero Gin and Holland style in Genevieve) in addition to their beer, Anchor Steam, made in San Francisco, and resurrected by the owner, Fritz Maytag, who was foremost in the micro-brew movement.

Back to rye whiskies, any other experience I've had would be via Seagram's VO or other Canadian blends. My mother specifically had a preference for Seagram's VO as she told me that it gave her teeth a "tingling" sensation while others did not, and I guess that was due to the rye content.

[bearmark]

I've come to really like the spicy bite of rye-forward bourbon whiskeys and rye whiskeys. Here are some more practical buys that are apparently more approachable as well:

• Wild Turkey Rye 101 - The 101 proof offering is better than the 81 proof version and usually costs about $20-25. Since about early May, the 101 proof has been more difficult to find due to halted production, but I hear that it should be in production again before the end of the year... we'll see. In any case, this is an "easier" rye with less of the hard spicy bite of most young rye whiskeys. If you want an easy introduction, then this is probably a good start. Try it in a Mint Julep!
• Willett Single Barrel Rye - I've purchased both a 4 year and 5 year aged bottle of this excellent rye at prices ranging from $30-$38. It's got a nice spicy bite and a good balance with less alcohol burn than you would expect for a 110 proof whiskey.
• High West Rendezvous Rye -This is the best that I've had and it's the aging that appears to improve it over the Willett above. This is a blend of sourced 16 year and and 6 year old rye whiskeys with nice hints of vanilla, clove and cinnamon with a contribution of oak from the older portion of the blend. This is a fabulous whiskey!

I've got a bottle of Whistlepig Straight Rye (96-100 points from Wine Enthusiast) for $72 and a bottle of Thomas H. Handy Rye (2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection) for $66 that I haven't gotten around to opening yet, but I'm expecting great things from these as well. The Whistlepig is one of the few straight (i.e. 100%) rye whiskeys available and is distilled in Canada and bottled in Vermont. The Handy is a 6 year old rye that is supposed to be amazing and is one of the few BTAC 2011 offerings that is still available for purchase. I'll post my experiences with these once I open them and spend some quality time with them.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a bottle of Sazerac 18 year in the fall so that I can experience a truly fine aged rye whiskey. I'm also planning on replacing my bottle of Wild Turkey Rye 101 with a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye 100 Bottled in Bond for about $20 once I've emptied it. The WT101 is just too laid back for me and I'm looking forward to a more typical rye spice experience with the Rittenhouse.