Pikesville has been a brand of Rye Whiskey off-and-on for more than 120 years. The original company was founded in Maryland in 1895, where it became a very popular brand of “Maryland-style” Rye Whiskey. Production has stopped several times over the decades due to Prohibition, ownership changes, and even distillery accidents. The historic “Majestic Distilling” ceased production in 1972, but the brand was continuously available until 1982 on existing stock. Heaven Hill recently purchased the brand, revitalized the recipe, and brought production to their Bernheim Distillery in Kentucky.
Pikesville is all about one product — Pikesville 110 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey. And yes, it’s served at nearly full cask strength at 110 proof / 55% ABV. Powerful and authentic to its roots, Whiskey experts from around the world are salivating in desire and gushing in praise. It’s an unanimous double-gold winner in San Francisco, received an “extraordinary, ultimate recommendation” at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and was dubbed the “Second Finest Whiskey in the World” by Jim Murray at the Whiskey Bible, and a bunch more. Seriously… this could be the Rye Whiskey of the decade.
What does Pikesville 110 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey taste like?
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Pikesville 110 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Fiery, oaky, spicy aroma and a taste to match, the fainthearted may balk at taking this one neat or w/ a cube but cask-strength-loving rye drinkers will relish in this fine bottle hailing from the "Old Line State."
Marshall,
Great Rye
Mike,
Finally bought this after reading all the online reviews... yes,yes, yes. Now one of my all time favorites. Beautiful noise - more of a bourbon with sweet elements and some spice. Taste also is very well balanced but with a rye spice on the end. Best rye I have had and not even close and one of my top whiskeys now (and I normally do not like ryes).
Charles,
Excellent flavor. Very smooth for such a high proof.
Joe,
Werthers candy and peanuts. Oily, nutty spice. Unripe pear. Medium warmth.
Bryce,
Great Rye for sipping. I got in for $45 on sale in NC which for this bottle is a great price. Now I see it for about $60 these days. I wouldn't pay that much for it, but I also don't stock sipping Rye on a regular basis. Having said that, if you always have a sipping rye on hand, you'll be hard pressed to find a better bottle in this general price range. With a single ice cube, this whiskey really opened up. Very well balanced between the rye spice and the sweetness.
Jeff,
Love it
Jason,
Stellar Rye!!!
Jitendra,
The best darn Rye whisky
James,
Lots of spice, but also a fair amount of sweetness. Really well balanced and a nice mouthfeel and finish. I get a fair amount of banana coming through. The high alcohol content doesn’t overpower the complex flavor
Chris,
Fantastic Rye at an amazing price.
Gabriel,
Med-long finish
Nose: Savory ribs, rye, dark honey, spice (curry), PayDay candybar, faint maple syrup
Palate: Peanut butter, spicy
Thomas,
Great spice and tremendously smooth for such a high proof. A must have.
Jeffrey,
Great value for the amount of flavor. Nice spice & creamy mouth-feel.
Austin,
one of the best ryes on the market, so smooth!
Christopher,
At this point my favorite Rye.
Tom,
One of my favorite ryes! So good.
Thomas,
Strong taste
Thomas,
Very smooth, especially for the proof. Rich in flavor.
Travis,
sweat malty nose with some rye spice on the back end. tasted marshmallow, sour bread, and a clean spiced finished. A rare mixer and a sipper all at the same time.
SCOTT,
Smooth, vanilla, leather, some chocolate spice on finish. Sweeter than expected but love it.
Brent,
Had all I am looking for in my whiskey. High proof, nuance, easy
Zane,
Simply awesome. New favorite rye!
Angel,
Brown sugar, cinnamon spice, vanillas can be found. It drinks more like a bourbon but the high abv. gives it that rye spice. If you are looking for a gateway into rye try this with a few drops of water. You might be pleasantly surprised.
David,
Darn near perfect. For such a high proof rye, it's so smooth, with the expected rye bite coming at the end. Easy sipper, plan to always have this on my shelf. Price point spot on for this whiskey.
Dick,
One of my favorite rye's
Joshua,
Love it !!
Erik,
A fantastic higher proof rye that is full of flavor but the proof doesnt overwhelm
Brian,
This is my all-time favorite Rye. Smooth on the tongue with a little bite at the end.
Joseph,
Nice sipping Rye with a strong pepper finish. Great on lite ice or as an Manhattan
Matthew,
Color is a reddish copper. Nose starts with a little ethanol, definitely needs a minute to sit and breathe. After allowing it to breathe, a mildly sweet aroma emerges. Notes of cocoa, subtle cherry, and mild spice. First sip packs a bit of a punch from the proof and rye spice; it is a little less sweet than the nose lets on, almost dry. Rye spice and black pepper are the predominate flavors on the palate initially. As acclimation to the proof and rye spice occurs, notes of cream, leather, and just a hint of tobacco finish off the palate. Finish is a long linger of the rye spice, accentuated by the drying of the palate by the high proof. Overall a fantastic example of Rye Whiskey, with a high proof high spice flavor.
guest,
My favorite rye whiskey
Jamie,
Smoother than you would think for 110 proof
Jon,
Fantastic rye. Surprised to see so many calling this spicy, though. For me, despite its proof, this is a sweeter, more cherried rye. Incredibly smooth for 110p.
Jeremy,
Spice and sweet in perfect balance. Name a better rye... I dare you!
Michael,
Sweet and spicy, lots to unpack
Donald,
This stuff is amazing. Very smooth for proof.
jesse,
Spicy Rye
David,
The perfect rye.
arne,
very dry and spicy which is a lot of fun
Timothy,
Spicy...big time. But balanced and smooth. Perfect for refined drinking.
Craig,
Another Heaven Hill masterpiece. Love it all over again no matter how long it’s been.
Henry,
Delicious. Pairs perfectly with grilled chicken wings and a smooth cigar
guest,
Best rye I’ve had in any price range
Olaf,
A strong body with a sharpness to it that I have come to love of rye. Very impressive drink that challenges much more pricey bottles of rye.
Ben,
Great all around Rye. 110 proof, but great any way you want to drink it. I take it backpacking (straight), and I like it in my manhattans.
Patrick,
I like drinking ryes and this is a fine one. Maybe quite as good as not as the E.H Taylor rye but a solid expression. If you like Rittenhouse you’ll enjoy this one.