RE:FIND Rye Whiskey (cask strength)

Discussion in 'Food and Drink' started by purr1n, Feb 7, 2018.

  1. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    First of all, I dislike rye. However, I was given a taste of this at Wade's Wines and this changed my mind. One thing to note is that this batch is cask strength 127 proof. The casks were picked out by Wade's. If you do an Internet search, you will find this stuff, but it won't be cask strength and I have no idea how the watered down stuff would taste.

    Finally, I've realized that all the star or percentage ratings found on the Internet on bourbons, whiskies, and scotches are utterly useless bullshit, much like the star ratings on HF gear reviews. It's not that hard. Stuff is either good, very good, or great, assuming that the flavors will suit your preferences.

    This bottle was $129. A bit pricey and I would have definitely said rip off a few years ago. But that's just how things are. I think it's fairly priced. Some people might want to oversell you this and say it's comparable to $300 bottles. I don't think it's that good; but then again, I have a stronger preference for bourbon which is made from mostly corn.

    The downsides for the RE:FIND rye are that it doesn't have that last bit of refinement (probably from lack of aging) and that it could be smoother. Still it's smooth enough given that it's over 63% alcohol. The distillery aged this stuff in smaller barrels to get the product out faster instead of doing the 163 year deal.

    The whiskey is still very much a rye, especially upon the initial taste. The good thing is that the other yummy flavors overpower the rye. I'll borrow my kids' words when they got to sniff it since I am bad at describing this stuff:

    Pear, apple, hint of strawberry. Nutmeg, hint of cinnamon. Very complex and fruity with more intense flavors that build up at the throat with every sip. I saw five bottles left at the store and will probably pick another one up. Very good.
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2018
  2. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    I definitely could use one of them to burn my house down, if you know what I mean...
    :drunk:
     
  3. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    Good to know about the ratings. I know squat about spirits, wine or whatever, but I usually find the ratings of wines helpful.
    When my local store posts something rated over 90, I'm never disappointed. I'm not always wowed, but never disappointed. Too bad they don't have a similar system for Rye, Whisky, Bourbon.

    Thanks
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    There seems to be more relatability to the wine reviewers. Some big names like Robert Parker who I do agree with more than not. But same deal: ultimately it's a matter of preference and maybe even influence from fellow connoisseurs who we know (losers call this "groupthink", but it is what it is). For example, I tend to favor the French wines from the Bordeaux region, and even that from specific areas because the blends are slightly different.

    The beer and spirits ratings seem all over the place. Lots of sites with random dudes with unknown preferences. Heck, I hate all IPAs and give them all zero stars.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2018
  5. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Exit stage left....
    This. +100
     
  6. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    For whiskies I've found its best to find reviewers that match your preferences. For example the Malt Maniacs have an extensive spreadsheet of blind reviews...you need to get your wallet out and taste several, but soon you'll be able to see whose tastes seem to match yours, and then discover new whiskies they (and you) like from there. Damn, looks like the Maniacs are not so active these days...that's a shame. Good thing whiskies last :).
     
  7. loki993

    loki993 Facebook Friend

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    I think a lot of it has to do with the internet and the explosion of bourbon/ryes popularity over the past few years. Anyone can start a blog and start reviewing stuff and generally when something gets super popular a lot of people start doing it to try and cash in on that ad money and they may not even be all that experienced in reviewing or even experienced with whisky in general or whatever it is they are reviewing.

    Try to find a place for Tequila or Rum reviews, Gin maybe? There may be a couple. Bourbon I could probably rattle off 5 to 10 off the top of my head without even a google search.

    Also though Marvey and Good Enough Gear are right, liking a bourbon or rye is hugely based on preference. There are a lot of stores that hand pick barrels where I am. I like buying barrel picks, the stuff is generally a step above the off the shelf stuff, has some unique characteristics most of the time and it's a similar price. I've had bottles from one store in particular that were amazing, everything he picks I've really liked, even loved a lot of them. Another store in my area their picks are consistently underwhelming to me....even with the same brands of whisky from each store this has happened. The person at the one store his and my tastes just do not match. The same thing can happen with reviewers.
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Just an update on the RE:FIND rye (the cask strength) at Wade's. It's all gone. I picked up another bottle last Wednesday. As of Sunday there were two left. Jason @schiit picked up thedr last two. General rule is you can try it (Wade's lets you try tasters), you like it, and it's hand picked barrel, then buy it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2018
  9. Donald North

    Donald North Friend

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    While I prefer darker/stronger beers, there are some good IPAs that I have enjoyed. Usually they are on tap at brew pubs and/or tasting rooms. Big Bear Brewery makes a good one.

    Also, for the record, I have tried 2 recent bottles of Pliny the Elder and was not impressed - it tasted weak and watery for an IPA.

    For the best variety of house-made beers, I highly recommend a visit to Idyllwild Brewpub in SoCal in the mountains towards Palm Springs.
     
  10. Donald North

    Donald North Friend

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    @purr1n some of my favorite rye whiskies include Willett 3yr (made in house) and 4yr (sourced but really good and unfortunately no longer available), Corbin Cash Rye and their blend, Pikesville. Wood Reserve Rye is very drinkable but then again it doesn’t have high rye content.

    Crown Royal Rye is alright but nothing special to me.

    There’s been much talk and hype this past year about Old Kentucky Owl Rye. It’s 13yr and around $150. To me, I only pay those prices for PVWFR15. At the recommendation of a friend bought one. At first I wasn’t impressed. However after the bottle has been open for several weeks I am now finding it very interesting, complex, and enjoyable. I’m still not sure if it is worth the money, but at least now I don’t feel taken.
     
  11. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    I have experienced this several times - air/oxidation is an important influence. I generally have 20+ various bottles open as I treat whisky as a taste thing and want variety at my disposal - I don't drink it to get drunk. I've found though that once you get past the first 3/4 bottle oxidation can harm whiskey badly (smell a leftover dram that's been out overnight) so I tend to accelerate finishing a bottle once it gets low.

    Some folks add food-grade glass marbles to bottles of expensive scotch to reduce oxidation.

    By the same token a fresh bottle will be closed off. I'll let a dram sit out for 30 minutes at least to open up. Water is a whole nother post, though.
     

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