Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey

I consider myself a 'brown' liquor lover. Pretty much any & all, though I have a particular affinity for scotch. On the other hand, I've never found a bourbon I've been totally satisfied with - sacrilege, I know. (I'm even a southerner.) Enter, rye. This is my first official foray into rye country (I've had it before, sure, but only in passing perhaps in mixed drinks), and I'm intrigued. On the initial nose fruit definitely came first, followed for me by a light mossy fragrance, then came the oak, and a faint whiff almost of basil, and a moment of cocoa which to be honest I had to search to find. The first taste was also fruit forward, then a bit of toffee, then some nutmeg followed by clove which then hit into pepper, which somewhat quickly disappeared and melted into a whisp of butterscotch. The finish has a moment of heat in the throat but then disappears into a lovely lingering warmth in the chest. After the first taste, the nose became intensely dominated by vanilla, and this remained true throughout several following tastes. ... I was a little hesitant about my first official rye being a "barely legal" one, but I think it's a good introduction. I already like it better than bourbon, and my next rye will definitely have a bumped up rye percentage as I continue the journey. Prost.

I’ll get this again. Very smooth. Like to make a Manhattan with it.

Bang for the buck is definitely there.
Makes an ok Manhattan.
Elijah Craig is always a solid bourbon/rye.

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