We’re back to That Boutique-y Whisky Company with another whisky from their 10th anniversary lineup. But this time it is something quite different from the previous one (a Chouchen-cask finished Armorik). This time, we’re going to Tennessee, and not for that good ol’ N°7. We’re going to an unnamed distillery, for some rye and some sherry! So we should I think expect something quite different from that Tennessee Rye Batch 4 TBWC!
Tennessee Rye Batch 4 TBWC Review
Not much is known (or disclosed) about this distillery so you’ll have to take a guess amongst the Tennessee distilleries. What we do know, however, is that it is a 5-year-old rye, with a finish in oloroso and Pedro-Ximenez casks. This is Batch 4 from that rye at That Boutique-y Whisky Company, with 230 500 ml bottles filled at 50% ABV (100 US proof). RRP is £48.95 and it still is easily available in the UK, at MoM for instance. Less than €50 in some German shops like whic.de or whisky-maniac. Oh and before I forget, it’s non-chill filtered and natural colour.
Colour:
Brown and dark, between old oak and brown sherry.
Nose:
Neat: the first notes are on the sherry, with both the PX sweetness and the oloroso leather and dried figs. There’s also a woody presence, not overshadowing the rest but still noticeable. Some rancio notes are freshened up with some herbaceous hints of mint, aniseed and elderflower. Ripe and juicy melon. There’s some kind of cured meat, and a light citrusy note in the background.
With water: white peach skin and dragon fruit bring more sweetness.
Palate:
Neat: Oily arrival, woody and spicy. Dark cherry liqueur, and quite some sweetness with caramel, cough syrup and quince jam. There’s an herbaceous freshness on the palate as well, but also some chocolate, so imagine liquid After Eight chocolate and you shouldn’t be too far. Then spices come back with candied ginger slices and cardamom.
With water: the cherry liqueur disappears, letting the caramel and the wood in the front seats. Barrel-aged cough syrup?
Finish:
Long, the finish is woody again, with that lingering sweetness from the palate and that underlining sweetness leaving a fresh feeling on the tongue, almost like ice mint toothpaste.
Comments:
Fun and different are the first two words popping into my mind when trying to describe this whisky. I’m not sure it’s really balanced, with strong wood notes and a sweetness maybe too strong for my own taste, but this is honestly fun to spend time with, but I think with a single dram at a time. Those strong flavours both on the nose and the palate might tire you after a first dram and become a bit too much. But one dram from time to time, not too often, would be for me the right frequency. Now, for the fun, what distillery could it be? Seeing on the label how the maple tree wood is organised to be turned to charcoal, with water sprayed on it by a sheriff, so I do think it might come from that distillery famously known for its N°7 in a square-ish bottle… (and it seems I’m wrong with that guess, as I’ve overlooked another hint on the label!)
Rating: 83/100
Pictures courtesy of That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Sample provided by Boutique-y Dave, thanks you!
