Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery.
Proof: 123.2. Non-chill filtered.
Age: 6 Years.
Corn Seed Varietal #: Beck’s 6158.
Mash bill: 63% Rye/ 24% Corn/ 13% Malted Barley.
Price: $99.99. 700ml.
Appearance: Golden caramel.
Nose
Big rye grain-forward flavors mixed with rich and sweet oak. Peppermint, green tea, cloves, sage and nutmeg. Rich caramel toffee, caramelized brown sugar, chocolate, Werther’s caramel, cinnamon spice, and toasted oak. More time and a sip or two bring out underlying notes of red berries, cherries, peaches, and pears with vanilla beans, floral, and marzipan. There’s a lot of delicious complexity here, with different flavors taking turns being the focus. At first, the herbal flavors were upfront with oak. With more time and sips, the oak takes the lead, getting sweeter and more like crème brûlée. The nose is excellent.
Palate
The nose transfers nicely to the palate, starting with rich caramel, dark brown sugar, peanuts, and a hint of chocolate, with herbal flavors of green tea, peppermint, cloves, and sage. There is a nice hit of cinnamon spice that can ramp up quickly on bigger sips, which covers the whole palate with a creamy mouthfeel. As the spice settles down, a moderate amount of peaches, red berries, and toasted oak are more noticeable as the sip transitions to the finish. The modest amount of nuttiness was a pleasant surprise that wasn’t first detected on the nose until the first sip. Also, like the nose, the complex mix of flavors bob and weave as the session continues.
Finish
Cinnamon spice continues to linger on the palate and cheeks, along with toffee and subtle peanuts, sage, cloves, red berries, vanilla bean, and floral coming back with toasted oak. With more time, the oak turns to soft tobacco with spice that hangs on for a long and enjoyable finish.
Conclusion
The only knowledge I had about this release before I purchased it was from Heaven Hill’s website, but I didn’t know what to expect since I hadn’t seen any reviews. I love the concept of distilleries experimenting with grain varietals to bring out different flavor profiles and as a step towards growing all the grains for whiskey production locally in Kentucky. Heaven Hill has also been purchasing rye from Kentucky farmers participating in the Kentucky Commercial Rye Cover Crop Initiative (KCRCCI) for use in the Grain to Grass project. This reminded me of the research project that Elizabeth McCall of Woodford Reserve has been working on to bring the production of rye grain back to Kentucky.
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye is an interesting and unique release that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying. What I love most is its delicious flavor profile and complexity. It’s a bit of a brain twister that keeps you busy as it changes focus on the flavors it brings out. It was great from the start, and as it opened up, it improved with every pour. What’s also unique about the Grain to Glass Rye release is the mash bill. It’s not the same 51% Rye/35% Corn/14% Malted Barley mash bill that Heaven Hill uses for its other rye whiskeys such as Rittenhouse and Pikesville. Also worth mentioning is its 61.6% ABV, which contributes to this whiskey being so flavorful without sacrificing the drinking experience.
It’s clear to me that Heaven Hill’s new Grain to Glass whiskey line is more about quality and experimentation than value. Though nobody is thrilled to pay $100 for a 6-year bottle of whiskey, this release offers much more than can be summarized simply from its age statement. I’ve seen much higher prices from NDP releases lately that aren’t nearly as unique as this one. However, I wouldn’t pay the inflated prices I’ve already seen for this and the other two Grain to Glass whiskies (Bourbon and Wheated Bourbon). I highly recommend this rye if it sounds like something that’s up your alley, and I’m looking forward to what the next series of Grain to Glass releases are going to bring.
Rating: 8.0/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
