RELEASE!!! This also gives way to a new Top Ten of Rye in The Kingdom of Bloofingtonia.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh, Lowly Bloofington, The Great Dumboni, see how his brain cells have been so blurred by wellllllll, whatever clouds of smoke have been circling his feeble-brained skull for the past so many years. :roll: He already shows The Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old Rye on his Top Ten. What a maroon.
:duh: :duh: :duh:
Perhaps if we hold back and don't tell him what a bleeping idiot he is, he'll just put up his post and go back into the woodwork.
:dunno:
I DID say Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old Rye - FINAL RELEASE, did I not? :angel:
A little explanation is of course, in order. It seems that according to information I have been given, the final release of this wonderful expression bearing the famous Van Winkle label is not just one rye whiskey, but two, the Van Winkle 13 year old matured to 19 years and combined with another. I am not revealing any trade secrets here, because if you inhabit a certain web site(s), the owner himself has discussed this very subject quite publicly.
It seems that around 1998 or so, the Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old Rye was released as just that, a 13 year old rye whiskey. Over the years, as it was bottled, instead of arresting the aging process, it was continually bottled with the same label, but actually aging to the point where the first bottles I bought in late '01, early '02, were from batches that were perhaps 14-16 years old. It would appear that because new licenses and registrations would have been required to change the label every year, an executive decision was made to just continue putting the same label on this ever aging, very fine rye.
Up until bottles perhaps labeled with an "F," it was only the original rye whiskey by itself, aging to 18 years, then upon hitting the 19 year old mark, it was blended in an unstated percentage with some other unknown rye whiskey, to make the final release of the Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old rye whiskey. Again, this "final release" is the original 13 year old, aged to 19 years and combined, perhaps half and half, perhaps some other percentage, to make this "final release."
Therefore, we can see from the above and very much "from the horse's mouth" description, that this "final release" is actually a different product from the original. Through the years I had noted occasional subtle differences in bottles I bought, which ranged from perhaps "B" Series bottles to very definitely at least "D" or "E" Series bottles. The bottle sitting in my den on the shelf with the empties representing the Top Ten of Rye is in fact labeled D5003. I always noted a signature flavor profile, spicy, a bit of heat, with oak and fine candy always came to mind. It was usually bold, complex, and both sweet and spicy.
This "final release," a different product indeed, retains much of the signature profile, leading off during the first two or three sips with white pepper, lots and lots of wood, honey, perhaps vanilla, and blackberries. At about the third or fourth sip, at the time when it's been one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes after the pour and stir, just when it's flavor should be peaking, something interesting happens to this rye. The blackberry, which sometimes tastes like elderberry, suddenly begins to get very earthy, and the complexity starts to disappear. It gets very monotonous, the wood, fruit and candy drop away to the point where by the end, at one hour and forty five minutes after the pour, I've been tasting all earth for a while.
This last nuance reminds me suspiciously of Black Maple Hill's 18 year old rye, and my review is somewhere on previous pages. One reason why I couldn't rate Black Maple Hill's rye any higher than I did is because of the monotonous and very heavy earth tones. I don't mind tasting earthy notes in a bourbon or rye, but I don't believe they should predominate, especially to the exclusion of other flavors. Who knows what this is due to? Could it be the additional three to six years of age from previous bottles I've had, or the addition of another unnamed rye whiskey?
All of this begs the question, why was this marriage made? Were they going for a certain number of bottles and coming up short if they didn't mix an already outstanding product with something else? At any rate, something has suffered, which is why I couldn't place this product any higher than No. 4 on my Top Ten of Rye, an outstanding placement all things considered. This is indeed still a very fine product, and a classic which will be missed when it is all gone. I understand that bottling of this will proceed for a few years, and that the married whiskey is now being held in a stainless steel holding tank. If the whiskey holds up and doesn't deteriorate, it will be around for a while.
Although I was disappointed that this did not taste better, it is nonetheless a fine rye whiskey, especially for the $31.99 + shipping you will pay at http://www.shoppersvineyard.com. If you are into rye whiskey, and want to try this mysterious combination of a 19 year old rye with an unnamed rye of about the same age, you won't be disappointed overall. The bottles of this "final release" are currently labeled "G" with a number following the letter.
Following is also the new Bloofingtonian Top Ten of Rye, and I must say I am glad to see the Hirsch 13 year old go. It was not produced by the famous Michter's Distillery from Pennsylvania that closed many years ago, the one which produced the famous Hirsch 16 and 20 year old bourbons. The Hirsch 13 rye is an unknown, overpriced pretender to a glorious name, and probably something that someone somewhere recognized needed to be gotten rid of in order to avoid a total loss. It was sold to someone with the rights to the Hirsch name and isn't all that good.
The smooth, sweet, dessert cordial-like Wild Turkey Rye falls to a well deserved 10th place because it's boring and almost flavorless. Jim Beam Rye at No. 9 is interesting, but lacking in body, and therefore not worthy of me spending any more money on it. From No. 8 on up, it gets interesting, although the Black Maple Hill 18 year old rye at No. 7, though nice and very unique, is overpriced for what you're getting in terms of boldness and complexity.
Bloofingtonian Top Ten of Rye
1. The Classic Cask Single Batch 22 year old
2. Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old
3. The Classic Cask Single Batch 21 year old
4. Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old (final release)
5. Sazerac 18 year old
6. Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey (90 proof version)
7. Black Maple Hill 18 year old
8. Old Overholt
9. Jim Beam Rye
10. Wild Turkey Rye
Ahhhhhhhhhhh, Lowly Bloofington, The Great Dumboni, see how his brain cells have been so blurred by wellllllll, whatever clouds of smoke have been circling his feeble-brained skull for the past so many years. :roll: He already shows The Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old Rye on his Top Ten. What a maroon.
:duh: :duh: :duh:
Perhaps if we hold back and don't tell him what a bleeping idiot he is, he'll just put up his post and go back into the woodwork.
:dunno:
I DID say Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old Rye - FINAL RELEASE, did I not? :angel:
A little explanation is of course, in order. It seems that according to information I have been given, the final release of this wonderful expression bearing the famous Van Winkle label is not just one rye whiskey, but two, the Van Winkle 13 year old matured to 19 years and combined with another. I am not revealing any trade secrets here, because if you inhabit a certain web site(s), the owner himself has discussed this very subject quite publicly.
It seems that around 1998 or so, the Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old Rye was released as just that, a 13 year old rye whiskey. Over the years, as it was bottled, instead of arresting the aging process, it was continually bottled with the same label, but actually aging to the point where the first bottles I bought in late '01, early '02, were from batches that were perhaps 14-16 years old. It would appear that because new licenses and registrations would have been required to change the label every year, an executive decision was made to just continue putting the same label on this ever aging, very fine rye.
Up until bottles perhaps labeled with an "F," it was only the original rye whiskey by itself, aging to 18 years, then upon hitting the 19 year old mark, it was blended in an unstated percentage with some other unknown rye whiskey, to make the final release of the Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old rye whiskey. Again, this "final release" is the original 13 year old, aged to 19 years and combined, perhaps half and half, perhaps some other percentage, to make this "final release."
Therefore, we can see from the above and very much "from the horse's mouth" description, that this "final release" is actually a different product from the original. Through the years I had noted occasional subtle differences in bottles I bought, which ranged from perhaps "B" Series bottles to very definitely at least "D" or "E" Series bottles. The bottle sitting in my den on the shelf with the empties representing the Top Ten of Rye is in fact labeled D5003. I always noted a signature flavor profile, spicy, a bit of heat, with oak and fine candy always came to mind. It was usually bold, complex, and both sweet and spicy.
This "final release," a different product indeed, retains much of the signature profile, leading off during the first two or three sips with white pepper, lots and lots of wood, honey, perhaps vanilla, and blackberries. At about the third or fourth sip, at the time when it's been one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes after the pour and stir, just when it's flavor should be peaking, something interesting happens to this rye. The blackberry, which sometimes tastes like elderberry, suddenly begins to get very earthy, and the complexity starts to disappear. It gets very monotonous, the wood, fruit and candy drop away to the point where by the end, at one hour and forty five minutes after the pour, I've been tasting all earth for a while.
This last nuance reminds me suspiciously of Black Maple Hill's 18 year old rye, and my review is somewhere on previous pages. One reason why I couldn't rate Black Maple Hill's rye any higher than I did is because of the monotonous and very heavy earth tones. I don't mind tasting earthy notes in a bourbon or rye, but I don't believe they should predominate, especially to the exclusion of other flavors. Who knows what this is due to? Could it be the additional three to six years of age from previous bottles I've had, or the addition of another unnamed rye whiskey?
All of this begs the question, why was this marriage made? Were they going for a certain number of bottles and coming up short if they didn't mix an already outstanding product with something else? At any rate, something has suffered, which is why I couldn't place this product any higher than No. 4 on my Top Ten of Rye, an outstanding placement all things considered. This is indeed still a very fine product, and a classic which will be missed when it is all gone. I understand that bottling of this will proceed for a few years, and that the married whiskey is now being held in a stainless steel holding tank. If the whiskey holds up and doesn't deteriorate, it will be around for a while.
Although I was disappointed that this did not taste better, it is nonetheless a fine rye whiskey, especially for the $31.99 + shipping you will pay at http://www.shoppersvineyard.com. If you are into rye whiskey, and want to try this mysterious combination of a 19 year old rye with an unnamed rye of about the same age, you won't be disappointed overall. The bottles of this "final release" are currently labeled "G" with a number following the letter.
Following is also the new Bloofingtonian Top Ten of Rye, and I must say I am glad to see the Hirsch 13 year old go. It was not produced by the famous Michter's Distillery from Pennsylvania that closed many years ago, the one which produced the famous Hirsch 16 and 20 year old bourbons. The Hirsch 13 rye is an unknown, overpriced pretender to a glorious name, and probably something that someone somewhere recognized needed to be gotten rid of in order to avoid a total loss. It was sold to someone with the rights to the Hirsch name and isn't all that good.
The smooth, sweet, dessert cordial-like Wild Turkey Rye falls to a well deserved 10th place because it's boring and almost flavorless. Jim Beam Rye at No. 9 is interesting, but lacking in body, and therefore not worthy of me spending any more money on it. From No. 8 on up, it gets interesting, although the Black Maple Hill 18 year old rye at No. 7, though nice and very unique, is overpriced for what you're getting in terms of boldness and complexity.
Bloofingtonian Top Ten of Rye
1. The Classic Cask Single Batch 22 year old
2. Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old
3. The Classic Cask Single Batch 21 year old
4. Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old (final release)
5. Sazerac 18 year old
6. Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey (90 proof version)
7. Black Maple Hill 18 year old
8. Old Overholt
9. Jim Beam Rye
10. Wild Turkey Rye
