EP 2: Battle of the Ryes

In this episode MikeD and TI do a battle of the ryes! Truly a battle between legacy distillers and new age distillery with this one. Join us as we taste and give our opinions on Old Forester Rye, Michter's Single Barrel Straight Rye and Milam & Greene Port Wine Cask Rye.

Old Forester Rye:

History: Part of the Whisky Row collection in Kentucky, Old Forester has about as much tradition as you can get in a Bourbon. It is a single brand of Bourbon that has been continuously available for 145 years — most of that time from the same family of craftsmen at the same distillery. Interestingly, it was the first Bourbon to be available exclusively in sealed glass bottles. Back in the day, the barrels were certified by a doctor (Dr. Forester) as a drinkable whiskey and was prescribed to his patients.

Taste Profile:
Rye
Spicy
Pepper
Brown Sugar
Chestnut
Dill
Apple
Pine

Michter's Single Barrel Straight Rye:

History: This is also part of the Whisky Row collection in Kentucky. The Whiskey recipe dates from 1753. That’s when John Shenk founded Shenk’s Whiskey in Pennsylvania. It was America’s first production distillery from before America was a country. In fact, it is said that George Washington himself set out from nearby Valley Forge and personally requisitioned casks for his soldiers wintering there. The company has gone through several name changes and eventually moved to Kentucky. Now, more than 260 years later, they still do it the right way, producing a range of American Whiskeys.

Taste Profile:
Rye
Spicy
Pepper
Butterscotch
Marmalade
Port
Grain

Milam & Greene Port Wine Cask Rye:

History: This is a woman owned distillery out of Texas. The entrepreneur Marsha Milam visited a Kentucky warehouse and fell in love with the elusive art of Whiskey-making. She partnered with some of the world’s best Whiskey professionals: Whiskey expert and author Heather Greene, Whiskey veteran Marlene Holmes with 30 years of experience, and Master Brewer Jordan Osborne who brought 60 years of combined experience to the table. They have both smaller 300-gallon and a bigger 1,000-gallon copper-pot stills in the Texas Hill Country, plus classic column stills in Bardstown, Kentucky. They use their proprietary yeast and grain recipes and age their juice across 4 states to ensure a variety of flavors.

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