Behind the third window of That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s 2019 Advent Calendar we will be reviewing each day until the 24th of December was hidden a 2 year-old rye spirit from the New York: the New York Distilling Company 2yo Batch 3. Bottled at 47.7% abv, this rye spirit bottled by that Boutique-y Rye Company is not whisky yet (in Europe and UK, but in the USA it is), but it’s available from Master of Malt for £37.95. But if it’s not whisky yet, should we review it?
Yes we should!
Color:
Deep old gold like an old Madeira with an orange hue. A swirl reveal fat heads that wait a bit before becoming slow thick legs.
Nose:
Coldorak: Initial nose on spices (ginger, cinnamon) and vanilla. Very sweet and spirity, oranges, caramel, a bit of rye bread and some herbal notes.
Ainulindalë: Quite immediately very spicy – cinnamon and ginger and also some notes of juniper in the background, over caramel. There’s a slight fruity note I can’t quite place. I’d say kiwi.
Palate:
Coldorak: Spicy with ginger, cinnamon, chilli-pepper, then when the spices tone down a bit, the mid palate reveals oak, caramel and hints of grapefruit. The mouthfeel is a bit watery even with a 47.7% abv, it misses complexity and texture.
Ainulindalë: The mouth first brings out a dunnage kind of taste – mustiness, dampness, to then go on caramel strongly, all the while showing these notes of juniper/spices again.
Finish:
Coldorak: Short and warm on oak, cinnamon and caramel, a bit disappointing to be honest.
Ainulindalë: Very low key to me even though some fruit stays behind despite all the caramel.
Rating:
Coldorak: 80/100
Ainulindalë: 82/100
