This was the one Taconic release I was most excited about when the initial announcement was made by PWS Imports that they were going to be bringing the Taconic core range to us in Alberta.

I’m always wanting to try different rye whiskeys released from different areas to see if there is a difference. I have found that there is definitely a difference between southern and northern rye .This bottle, which is being produced in upstate New York could fall somewhere in the middle. Only one way to know, so let’s dive in.

First thing I noticed is the beautiful colour of this whiskey. It falls more to the reddish side of the spectrum than the yellow which was a surprise. Maybe not being proofed down with water keeps it way darker. Either way, it’s impressive and stands out in the glass but more so in the bottle.

A quick swirl to check viscosity and I was almost about to type that it has no legs at all…oh they are there. It just took a while for them to even start to drop. A nice, thin, long steady drop down the glass shows promise. You can almost tell just with a swirl how oily this whiskey is.

Nose: Immediately the rye grain note is noticeable as it should be. A bit of rye spice warms up the nose hairs, but surprisingly for a barrel proof this doesn’t nose hot. The spice gives way to a beautiful floral sweetness. Fruit orchards in the spring in BC during an unseasonably hot day. Apples and pears just starting to fill out after fruiting from their blossoms. There’s another floral note I can’t quit pin down. Like fresh tulips or marigolds basking in the sun. I absolutely love this nose and my mouth is watering already.

Palate: Oh baby! This coated my entire mouth instantly. That rye spice comes out large on the entry. Baking spices with cinnamon, but almost as if it’s cinnamon and sugar mixed and sprinkled across a warm buttered rye bread slice. The sugar sweetness fades back into rich fresh fruit notes. Couple that with the nutmeg, a touch of black pepper and some vanilla and honey and this is beautiful. There’s a touch of a wood note, a slight touch of butter tannin just before the finish begins.

Finish: Medium in length, but heavy on flavour. An almost maltiness shows up in the finish with more vanilla and a sort of apple skin note. There is a little flare up of pepper/spice midway through the finish and it just seems to prolong the finish a bit longer.

With water added…

With 5 drops of water into an ounce pour.

Nose: Ooooh this is all rye reminiscent of some of the heavy hitters now. But still unique. The spice has disappeared but the full flavour rye notes are more powerful. Almost a dusty grain note, like a farm on a hot day with a warm wind swirling the air around the grain bins. I find an almost fake banana flavouring note now. And the sweetness is a lot more butterscotch or even a touch nutty like cracking open a fresh bag of peanut brittle and inhaling deep.

Palate: Pow. That beautiful rye character just again wakes you up. The sweetness immediately feels cranked up with water. Still coats the mouth well and the banana note is there again. Like overripe bananas used in baking before they go full off. And wow, the spice and cinnamon return much later with water and stick around longer in the finish too. There’s still a nice flavour spot on the very back of my tongue that won’t fade completely away. Almost like I have a tiny spot of chewy caramel candy stuck to my tongue that won’t go down no matter how hard I try.

Conclusion

Overall this whiskey surpassed even my expectations. It’s mature beyond its years and tastes better than a lot of ryes double or triple its age. The rye spices mixed with the fresh fruit and wood influence all compliment each other amazingly and never try to out do one another. This is a must have for any rye lovers out there. Oh and that spot on my tongue is still giving off flavour.

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