We’ve done the Bourbon before which was middling in all but some ice, so now let’s check out the Rye. Thankfully we can say while it’s fine that the Indiana company wasn’t good at bourbon, they do know their way around a rye. We do wish this was better though at that which we want from a rye – an old fashioned, but alas it’s good even when neat so we can’t complain too hard.
That spice is what makes it, it permeates from the first whiff to the long lingering taste in your throat. Add a bit of ice if the power is too much for you and you want something mellow but for us it’s gotta be a finger neat, or maybe 2.
What they Say: “From discerning ingredient selection to skilled fractioning, blending and bottling, taste the expertise our artisans bring to every bottle of Cedar Ridge dark aged spirits.
Traditional Rye Whiskey, made with modern craft distilling techniques. A 70% Toasted Rye mash bill lends this whiskey to be at home on the rocks or mixed up in classic cocktails. A perfect blend of rye spice and vanilla oak, this whiskey is balanced like no other. Enjoy!”
Taste: 7.0 – Really big smack of that rye and spice from the smell. It’s very good.
Aftertaste: 7.5 – Here that spice and pepper mellows and then lingers for a good long while. This is also quite good.
Burn/Smooth: 6.0 – There is a burn there, but the spice from the taste and the slight tingle and warmth make it actually pretty okay. Smooth isn’t the right word, but neither is burn.
Aroma: 7.0 – A very nice blend of spice, almost pepper, and overall rye flavor. You wish there was just a hint more oak or smoke, but it’s otherwise pleasant.
Honesty: 4.0 – The perfect home in cocktails irks us as you will see below, but it’s otherwise not too crazy – except for of course the skilled fractioning showing up losing this a whole point.
Mixability: 6.17
W/ Rocks: 6.0 – That mellows some things, and heightens others – but overall this was better neat.
Whiskey and Coke: 7.0 – That actually carries a lot of the flavor through the coke in such a way that makes it altogether the best cocktail here.
Old Fashioned: 5.5 – Not the best old fashioned, but passable.
Value: 5.5 – While this is only 3 dollars more than the bourbon – it makes up for it in spade by being a nicer thing to drink. Overall this isn’t terrible value, but it’s a bit high for a decent rye. (Sorry)
Google Shop Average: $41
Website: https://www.crwine.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 6.5
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Metric Score: 43.17/70 |+| Metric Average: 6.17 |+| Reviewer Average: 6.5
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Final Thoughts: While the price is much better compared to – well itself – this isn’t exactly super cheap, which makes the job of saying here whether we recommend y’all buy this or not quite hard. If you are in the market for a good neat whiskey, then there are certainly many other options out there that would charge more and fail to deliver, but if you goal is an old fashioned rye – steer clear.
