The High Plains Rye is Jim Rutledge's second foray into the sourcing and blending game after his wildly successful Cream of Kentucky Bourbon. This blend features rye whiskies from Kentucky Artisan Distillery (of Jefferson's fame), Ohio's Middle West, Indiana's MGP and New York Distilling Co. All of the whiskies are at least four years old and range from 51% to 100% rye in their mashbills. It's bottled at 97 proof (48.5% ABV) and does not carry an age statement or an individual distillery or mashbill name.
The nose is rich and aromatic with notes of toasted rye bread, caraway, black pepper, dill, apricot and wisps of roasted chocolate. On the palate, there's a moderate amount of barrel char allowing more exotic notes to come through -- cardamom, dusky clove and pepper -- as well as ripe peach and Earl Grey tea. A long finish brings out more spice, along with a hint of mint and red rope licorice. It's a complex and interesting whisky that shows how versatile and dynamic a high rye content can be. It's also gluten-free, meaning it can be enjoyed by those with Celiac Disease or sensitivity. It's definitely a keeper for our shelves. Cheers! - Christopher Null, Drinkhacker Founder & Editor in Chief
