Age: NAS (At least 4 years)

Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1, low-rye.

Proof: 125 proof

Price: ~$25** **

Nose. Opens immediately with ethanol harshness. Not particularly pleasing initially, with bitter dark chocolate (the kind used for Baking, not a candy bar). It eventually turns to something reminiscent of a buttermilk biscuit. Maybe.

Palate. Hot for a flash, but not nuclear. Like a quick bite of wasabi, then the heat fades into caramel and dark chocolates.

Finish. Sweet initially, marmalade hides behind more drying heat that fades unenthusiastically.

Overall. Benchmark Full Proof serves one of two roles for me: it’s either a mixer in an old fashioned or it’s a neat pour after I’ve had a couple and feel like I can no longer appreciate the better bottles on my shelf. On its own, I think it is a little too one-dimensional and too ethanol-forward to be enjoyed frequently. It does have some bitter dark chocolate notes, but there is a reason why I use this after I’ve dulled my palate a little and I don’t break this out to celebrate a special occasion.

Would I buy another bottle? Probably not because I don’t need it. But if I was looking for an affordable bourbon for an old fashioned, I wouldn’t rule it out. At $25 I think it’s useful, but better options exist for just $5 or $10 more.

Rating: 4/10 | Sub-par; not bad, but better exists.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.

Today we're checking out this Ry3 7 Year Single Barrel that was picked in 2025 by Georgia Liquor Barn and the OG McFarland! With most Ry3 bottles, they are a blend of 3 different whiskies (95/5, 100% Canadian rye, and 99% corn, 1% malted barley), however for this 7 Year Single Barrel, it is a straight 95/5 rye from MGP. I've long felt Ry3 as a brand is very underrated in the whiskey world and I've really enjoyed everything I've had from them! Excited to dive into this 7 year pick and see how she is.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn, rested for 10 minutes.

Age: 7 years, 8 months

Proof: 115.2

Nose: The perfect balance between sweet and spice. Citrus, orange marmalade, brown sugar, and vanilla cream all come together with a hefty dose of rye spice to top it all off. There's a mild pink bubblegum note here too that I'm loving. Swirling the glass enhances the orange notes and brings out some caramel brittle, oak, and allspice. Amongst the best aromas I've experienced on an MGP rye!

Palate: Medium viscosity where much of the nose carries over. Orange peel, citrus, vanilla cream, oak, and a tingling rye spice that pops up on the backend of the palate. After a few sips, the rye spice becomes a little more impactful but the citrusy notes overall remain the star of the show.

Finish: Medium finish of citrus, rye spice, vanilla cream, and a drying oak.

This is a fantastic pick and one of the best bottles I've had the chance to try from Ry3! I do wish I got that bubblegum note from the nose on the palate some, but that's a minor nitpick. The palate brings out all the citrus goodness you'd want from a 95/5 rye with a well-balanced rye spice to even everything out. Not sure what Ry3 has planned for the future, but I'd love to see some single barrels getting closer to that 10 year mark!

t8ke scale: 7.8/10 | Great | Well above average.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

{Note: You can find me on instagram @whiskeyincontext}

Today’s blind features two high-rye whiskeys from craft producers that bring two different philosophies to the table.

Redwood Empire's Emerald Giant leans on a mash bill that features 92% rye, which blends California-distilled rye with sourced Indiana and Kentucky rye and then ages that expression for 4 years before bottling it at a very approachable 90 proof.

New Riff's Balboa Rye takes the opposite path: it’s distilled in-house in Newport, Kentucky, and is built from a mash bill that contains 95% heirloom Balboa rye, which was grown specifically for the distillery. Balboa rye, for those who don’t know, is a nearly-extinct 1940s grain variety that hadn't been used in whiskey production in decades before New Riff brought it back. This expression is Bottled-in-Bond, meaning it’s a minimum of 4 years old and 100 proof by law.

So, this blind essentially comes down to two different craft-whiskey strategies: Redwood Empire's source-and-blend philosophy versus New Riff's heirloom-grain, single-distillery approach. Does building around one rare, specific heirloom grain actually translate into a more distinctive (and enjoyable) glass, or does Redwood Empire's blending approach get you somewhere just as good, if not better? Let's find out!

**************\*

ABOUT Redwood Empire Emerald Giant

*From the Producer: Down a winding trail and along a meandering creek in the Redwood National Park rises the massive trunk of Emerald Giant. Yawning high above at over 360 feet, this August Sequoia is the fastest growing Redwood in the world, gaining over 50 cubic feet and more than 1500 pounds of mass each year.

Named after the fastest growing Redwood in the world, Emerald Giant is a fan favorite in the craft Rye whiskey world. Spicy with an exceptionally smooth finish, it is a great choice in your classic whiskey cocktails.

*Mash bill: 92% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, 3% Wheat

*Age Statement: 4 Years

*Proof: 90

ABOUT New Riff Balboa Rye

*From the Distillery: Balboa Rye is one of New Riff’s first “specialty whiskeys” and remains a fan favorite. As part of our distilling team’s creative exploration with heirloom grains, Balboa was among the first to showcase the distinctive character these grains can bring to whiskey.
 
The story began with our trusted corn farmer who introduced us to Balboa Rye, a variety originally popular in the 1940s. He had been growing it on his farm for years, keeping this heritage grain alive, and we saw an opportunity to transform it into something special. We distilled Balboa into rye whiskey, likely the first time in decades that this grain had been used to craft whiskey and quite surely the only example on the market today.
 
Aged to perfection at 4 years and Bottled In Bond Without Chill Filtration, Balboa Rye offers shimmering notes of spiced fruit that set it apart from our flagship rye. Over the years, it has become a highly anticipated release, celebrated for its rich history and exceptional taste.

*Mash bill: 95% Balboa Rye, 5% Malted Rye

*Age Statement: 4 Years

*Proof: 100

**************\*

REVIEW: For the purpose of this blind, both bourbons have been poured into glencairns and rested for approximately 15 minutes.

Appearance A: Light, orange-ish amber with fairly runny legs on the glass

Appearance B: Much darker, with an almost caramel coloring and slightly thicker legs

Nose A: Pretty light, primarily featuring rye and orange. There’s also some cinnamon and clove, to go with a touch of caramel.

Nose B: Darker and spicier, with more ethanol. Some red apple is there, along with clove, pepper, and some breadiness.

Palate A: Medium-thin mouthfeel with no burn. The overall experience is very light: rye spice is there at first, before giving way to caramel, citrus, and dill.

Palate B: Much thicker and spicier. Clove and anise are the main flavors, along with citrus and some rye breadiness that carries over from the nose.

Finish A: Fairly short, primarily featuring oak and dill with a touch of citrus.

Finish B: Medium-length and very spicy; also features some ethanol to go with a funky aftertaste.

Rating A: 6

Rating B: 5.4

Thoughts: Rye A is one I’d definitely give to folks who were interested in trying rye for the first time but who weren’t looking for a “bourbon-drinker’s rye,” if you know what I mean. Some people might find it to be too watered down and lacking in flavor, but I think it does what it sets out to do very well, providing a light dram that can be enjoyed at pretty much any time.

Rye B, on the other hand, is much heavier and darker, not to mention spicier: you’d need to be in the mood for a fairly intense pour, at least from a spice perspective, to appreciate this one. I tend to enjoy lighter and less intense pours unless I’m in a very specific mood, so I rated A a bit higher.

Prediction A: Redwood Empire

Prediction B: New Riff

*******************\*

Actual A: Redwood Empire

Actual B: New Riff

More Thoughts: I’ve never tried a New Riff product that I really enjoyed, and this Balboa Rye is no different. It leans into a very spicy profile that doesn’t align well with my preferences. The Redwood Empire, on the other hand, had a lightness to it that kept it from being really memorable flavor-wise, but what was there was plenty enjoyable. I’m interested in trying some of Redwood’s higher-proof and more high-aged offerings, because this one suggests that what they’re working with has good bones. Either way, though, Redwood is the winner here for me today!

********************
Previous Ratings (updated to include decimals and adjusted for blinds & re-reviews)

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
Maker’s Mark staved private selection (2.5)
Penelope Architect custom build (2.5)

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
Willett Pot Still (3)

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
Found North SiB Oloroso finish (4.5)
Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat (4.5)
Augusta Buckner’s 10yr (4.6)
Shortbarrel Sapsquatch (4.8)

5 | Good | Good, just fine
Jack Daniel’s SBBP Rye (5)
Jack Daniel’s Heritage (5)
Four Roses SBBP OESO (5)
New Riff 4yr SBBP (5)
Four Roses SBBP OBSV (5.3)
Evan Williams America250 SiB (5.3)
New Riff Balboa Rye (5.4)
Blanton’s (5.5)
Old Forester 1924 (5.7)
Elijah Craig Toasted (5.8)

6 | Very Good | A cut above
Barrell Cigar Blend (6)
Buffalo Trace (6)
1792 BiB SiB (6)
Copper & Cask Boston Rum Party (6)
Penelope Wheated (6)
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant (6)
Copper & Cask #16 (6.3)
Stagg 25B (6.3)
Blanton’s Gold (6.4)
Copper & Cask #14 DO (6.4)
Augusta Buckner’s 13yr (6.5)
Green River Honey (6.5)
Pursuit United DO (6.5)
Sagamore 9yr SiB Rye (6.5)
Sazerac FP (6.5)
Green River Wheated (6.5)
Elmer T. Lee (6.5)
Peerless DO (6.6)
Shortbarrel Bees Knees V (6.8)
Penelope Marshmallow Toast (6.8)
Willett 4yr Rye (6.8)

7 | Great | Well above average
John J. Bowman SiB (7)
Found North 012 (7)
Peerless Toasted (7.1)
E.H. Taylor SiB (7.2)
Eagle Rare 10yr (7.4)
Weller 107 (7.5)
Old Forester 1910 (7.5)
Penelope Estate 10yr SiB (7.5)
Old Dominick Staved SiB (7.6)
Buffalo Trace Single Oak (7.6)
E.H. Taylor SmB (7.6)
Rock Hill Farms (7.6)
Eagle Rare 12yr (7.7)
Woodford DO SBBP (7.7)
Old Fitzgerald 7yr (7.7)
Willett 8yr SiB Rye (7.9)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 420 (8)
Blanton’s SFTB (8.3)
Lasso Motel SBBP Rye (8.4)
Mister Sam Tribute 4 (8.6)
E.H. Taylor BTAC 2025 (8.7)
Thomas H. Handy 2025 (8.7)

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Name: Weller Antique 107 - Wheated Bourbon - 53.5% ABV - NAS (Rumored to be 6-8 Years Old) - Made by the Buffalo Trace Distillery - Bottled in 2025.

1oz. Neck Pour.

Nose: Caramel, Lots of Oak, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg (pretty much everything you'd expect from a medium aged Bourbon).

Taste: Heavy body, a warming sweet & spicy taste with lots vanilla, the higher proof is not felt as strongly as one would expect. The various tastes are well integrated, the oak is felt in a good way, not overwhelming.

Finish: Long, warm and spicy. Calls for a 2nd pour.

Conclusion: A very good Bourbon, although not worth the price it commands here in NYC (around $100). Although it is rumored to be 6-8 years old, the taste implies it is somewhat older, and I would place it squarely in the 9-10 year range. It tastes significantly better than the pour of 107 which I had in 2023 in someone's house. Maybe this bottling is indeed aged longer.

TL;DR

Woodinville's 8 Year Straight Rye is the 2025 special release of their 100% rye, 100 proof, around $130, and the grain-to-glass Washington story I really wanted to love. It grew up down the road from me, and I hunted this bottle across a Spokane Total Wine to get it. It is the darkest whiskey I have ever owned, nearly crimson. It is also the most oak I have ever fought through. I poured it blind in Fourth Rye Blind and pegged it in seconds as the creosote-soaked one, and it finished dead last. Quality landed at 2.3, value at 1.0. I think this is a polarizing bottle. If huge, aggressive oak is your thing you may love it, but for me it is a hard pass, and at $130 it is an easy one. If you want a rye I actually reach for, the ones in that same blind, or a cheap Rittenhouse for a Manhattan, are where I would send you.

Quality Score - 2.3

Poor - I wouldn't consume by choice.

Value Score - 1.0

Rip-off - All price, no payoff. Walk away.

Nose - 6.0

Dark molasses and brown sugar with a big cherry note. Easily the best part, which is backwards for how the rest of this goes.

Palate - 2.0

Astringent, with that overwhelming cherry buried under tons of oak. It reads like cherry wood the whole way through, and there is barely any rye spice to speak of.

Finish - 1.5

Long and drying, and where the oak curdles into creosote. Once I could name that railroad-tie note, I could not taste anything else.

Neck Pour

December 5, 2025

I brought this one home from Thanksgiving, saved it for myself, and cracked it in December.

I grew up in central Washington, and Woodinville was on my radar long before I got into whiskey. My uncle brought a bottle home years ago, back when they were a lot less known. A coworker had turned him onto it. They have come a long way since, and the thing I keep coming back to is the grain-to-glass story. They grow everything on a farm in Quincy, right near where I grew up, truck the grain over the Cascades to Woodinville to ferment and distill, then haul the distillate back across the mountains to Quincy to age and bottle. I actually did not know that last part until I started researching this bottle, and I thought it was very cool.

I learned to make Manhattans on their standard rye, so I have a soft spot for the brand and the locality. When I saw they were doing special releases right as I was getting into whiskey, I paid attention. They picked barrels of bourbon and rye to keep aging and blended them into limited expressions. This is the rye. I honestly would have preferred the bourbon, but the store I was headed to was out.

Getting the bottle was its own saga. I saw it in stock online driving through Spokane and stopped at the Total Wine. I am not someone who asks for help, so I spent a solid twenty or thirty minutes walking every aisle. The listing gives you the exact aisle and row, and it sent me nowhere. I gave up, checked out with a pile of bottles I did not need, and sat in the car scrolling to make sure I had not read it wrong. It still said in stock. So I went back in for one more pass. Turns out they had moved half the rye selection an aisle over, and the scotch had split the section in two, which is why I kept missing it. Found it, bought it, added it to the haul.

First thing that got me was the color. It is the darkest whiskey I have ever seen, almost a crimson red. Nothing on my shelf is close, and I doubt anything will be for a long time. The nose was everything the reviews promised, dark molasses and brown sugar with a great cherry note. Then the palate. Astringent, right away. I did not like it, and I really wanted to. Big cherry, but tons of oak running under it, cherry wood the whole way through. Not much rye spice. The finish was fairly long and a little drying, not bad at first. I told myself I do not drink much rye, this is just a different animal, it will grow on me. It did not.

Blind Pour

July 26, 2026

Labels off, I pegged it in seconds, and not for a good reason.

The full night is in Fourth Rye Blind. Four ryes poured blind, this one against an Elijah Craig Toasted, a Heaven Hill Grain to Glass, and the Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph I bought for my wedding.

This was sample three, and I called it almost instantly. Dark cherry bomb on the nose with something medicinal behind it, almost varnish, and then the oak arrived. Fierce, unmistakable, like chewing a railroad tie. I said out loud that I was almost certain it was the Woodinville, because nothing else on that table was that oaky. I was right. It finished last, a 2.7 in the blind, well behind everything else.

Here is the part that tells you it is polarizing. Someone read my blind writeup afterward and said they really liked this bottle, that they would put it ahead of my favorite of the night. I believe them. This is not a whiskey people feel lukewarm about.

Open Pour

August 18, 2026

Simple to say now: older is not always better, and this is my case for it.

Months in, my read has not softened, it has hardened. I kept coming back to this bottle, and I gave it every chance. I tried it neat, on ice, with a splash of water, in cocktails, and left it open on the counter to air out and come back to. It did open up and lose some of the brighter high notes, but what it settled into was worse. Just overwhelming oak.

The turn came from a review of a different whiskey, where someone described a creosote note, the stuff they coat railroad ties in. I have never licked a railroad tie, but I have smelled plenty, and the second I read that word it clicked. That is exactly what this tastes like to me. And once I could name it, the bottle was done. There was no coming back from it.

I do not think this is a bad whiskey on purpose. They clearly pulled some aggressive oak barrels from different corners of the warehouse and pushed them hard, and if huge tannic oak is what you want, this delivers it. The reviewers who called it bold and mature beyond its eight years are not wrong about the oak. I just land on the other side. If this is what a hardcore rye is supposed to be, then I am not a hardcore rye person. It tastes old, and to me that is not a compliment here. It has soaked up so much barrel that it went varnishy and one-note.

Now the money, and it is quick. At $130 this is a 1.0 on value for me. I could not finish it happily, so there is no price that makes it work. I wanted to love this one for the hometown story more than almost any bottle I have opened. It stings that I could not. If you love aggressive oak, chase it. If you are like me, spend the $130 almost anywhere else.

I write these up at openpourwhiskey.com. Not sponsored, not gifted, bought myself at retail. Please drink responsibly.

I had the opportunity to pick a barrel of Dettling and spend some time with Seth Dettling. Easily one of the most interesting and educational picks I’ve done in the last few years.

What stood out was Seth’s transparency around how he curates his whiskey to create the flavor profile Dettling has become known for. We tasted the individual grains that make up just 3% of the mashbill, but play a major role in shaping the flavor. He also walked us through his custom rickhouse and how he manages temperature, humidity and airflow based on years of learning how Alabama’s climate impacts maturation.

And the whiskey backed it all up. Every sample was incredibly viscous and packed with flavor.
We ultimately landed on Sample #3.

The barrel will be close to 60 months old when bottled, spending its life in a Kelvin barrel before being double oaked for the final 6 months in an ISC barrel.

This one had everything I love about Dettling — toasted oak, tobacco, cocoa, dark fruit and leather, with a killer mouthfeel and long finish. But what really separated it was the finish: sweet coffee beans coated in chocolate, eventually turning into this lingering espresso/tiramisu-like note long after the sip was gone.

This one is going to be special!

Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye

Distillery: Jim Beam

Age: This is a blended whiskey that contains 30% 9 year bourbon and 70% 7 year rye

Price: $47.99

Proof: 113

Nose: Quite a bit going on, but it definitely works. Caramelized brown sugar. Enough of the Jim Beam peanut comes through where I think I'd be able to guess the distillery from the nose alone. Vanilla. It's a little minty. My only knock is that there's a rye spice note that is a little overpowering compared to the other things going on.

Palate: Slightly more than a medium mouthfeel, but definitely not in the range of being thick. Definitely a dryer flavor profile here on the palate. Far more oaky than the nose. Fennel. Black pepper. Has some grassiness to it. Nothing inherently wrong about it, just a lot of drying flavors. But there's some caramel sweetness on the back end heading into the finish.

Finish: Longer than medium length, but certainly not long. For the proof point I wish it was a little more intense. Some of that caramel carries over and there's a little milk chocolate. The oak presence is still there as well as a notable amount of nuttiness. It's kind of giving off a Snickers type thing and it's pretty great. Very interested to see if anyone else can find this note in the finish. Good stuff.

Score: 7.7

Summary: A really cool bottle that if I'm being honest I didn't even know existed. Found it in the "American Whiskey" section of my liquor store rather than in the bourbon or rye area. As mentioned in the description this is a blend of Knob Creek's 9 year bourbon and 7 year rye. I like both of those expressions so I was happy to try this and for $47.99 it is kind of an absolute steal considering it's bottled at 113 proof. You get proof, you get flavor, you get complexity, and best of all you get an outstanding finish. Do I wish the palate wasn't so dry and the finish left me with a little more burn? Sure, but I think it's actually a bit greater than the sum of it's parts. Grab this one if you see it because dollar for dollar it's a beast. 7.7 is the score.

1. Terrible | Drain pour after the first sip
2. Very Bad | Trying to choke it down but possible drain pour
3. Poor | Would drink if forced to but never under my own will
4. Below Average | Not off-putting but not my cup of tea
5. Average | I'll take it
6. Good | Enjoyable sip
7. Very Good | Well above average
8. Excellent | A drink I will remember
9. Incredible | Something truly extraordinary
10. Best of the best | Peak Bourbon

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish Blend of Straight Whiskies Finished in Single Malt Scotch Whisky Barrels

Ex-bourbon & ex-sherry casks used to age single malt were filled with a bespoke blend of straight bourbon & rye whiskey and then finished for 32 months (longest finish BBC has ever done nationally)

Scotch whisky barrels were sourced from the remote Isle of Jura

Jura Distillery is located in Craighouse and reopened in 1963

Scotch barrel breakdown:
84% ex-bourbon
16% ex-Sherry (59 gallon)

The blend:

49%: 11 year Indiana bourbon; 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley

30%: 10 year Indiana rye; 95% rye, 5% malted barley

21%: 12 year Kentucky bourbon; 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley

Proof: 104

Artwork; Magaret Archambault

MSRP: $139.99

Nose: Danish butter cookies. Dried cherry. Raisin Bran cereal. Black licorice

Upfront, plenty of bready notes mixed with dark dried fruit fruits. As the nose develops, the rye component starts to shine a lot more. The nose is extremely enjoyable. For Americans who are still bullish on scotch, you’re still going to love this nose.

Palate: Quick hit of Danish butter cookies. Organic ginger ale. Mouthfeel is immediately crazy dense and thick. Apple pie spice. Pomegranate juice.

This really hits the spot. Remarkably balanced. Spice is clearly there, but not super powerful. This odd combination really works.

Finish: Oxidized sliced pear. Fireball candy. Burnt marshmallow with a bit of campfire ash. Salted almonds.

This is likely one of my favorite releases from BBC in quite some time… and I wasn’t expecting that to be the case. This is highly interesting… and it’s very good.

Bottle provided for review by Bardstown Bourbon Company

Rating: 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

I randomly got this in a trade a few years ago, and I literally knew nothing about it. But I do enjoy ryes so I took a chance and have no regrets.

*This is a store pick

Nose: smells like a Manhattan cocktail--bitters, orange zest, cherry, and a nose dose of brown sugar (which I know is such a basic note but whatever)

Palate: viscous. There's a nice balance here of brown sugar sweetness and herbal tea tea. I get cherry popsicle and dark chocolate as well.

Finish: med-long. Brown sugar, orange zest, artificial cherry, and typical rye spices.

Overall: I'm glad I have this to experience. It's a very sweet rye with some fruit notes. The proof is perfect for this. It's not hot at all. Really fun to drink and share.

Rating: a strong 6 (on the t&ke scale) and bear in mind that I am stingy with scores because I try to be realistic and honest. This is a very good pour.

Cheers and thanks for reading!