Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof

Nose, Taste, Finish and Balance are graded out of 2.5 each:

Nose: There's an immediate waft of pistachio ice cream, followed by marshmellow melted on top of a smokey oak wood fire. About as american a nose as it gets. And a beautiful bourbon one at that. 2.0

Taste: Having been won over by the sweetness on the nose, one is ambushed by a flood of spice. Somewhere within the all engulfing spice, there is some swooning raspberry yearning to be heard. An entirely visceral experience. 1.5

Finish: The tongue continues to tingle as jalapeno peppers take the opportunity to dance all over it. As dancing partners, the peppers have both dark chocolate and raspberry, with the dark chocolate probably having the suaver moves. No matter what, the jalapenos are definitely leading. And whatever it is that they're dancing to, the music doesn't seem to stop. 2.0

Balance: For me, I don't overly enjoy being misled. Even if it results in quite a pleasant surprise. That said, if the surprise is entertaining enough, one can forget the disgruntlement at having been misled. Never have I experience such diametrically opposed taste sensations from the nose to the tongue, and if anything the whisky should be applauded if only for that. I haven't tasted enough ryes to tell you whether it's is a particular characteristic specific to this grain, however it is a fascinating experience nonetheless. A whiskey that's anything but boring. 2.0

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