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Castle & Key Restoration Batch 3

Castle & Key’s Restoration Batch 3 Review

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Castle & Key Distillery is a place that seems out of a fairy tale for those not into whiskey. For those that are it is almost hallowed ground where Colonial Edmund Haynes (E.H.) Taylor Jr. literally started whiskey tourism. Obviously, his name sake whiskey’s produced by Buffalo Trace are much revered but now we will see if this place has some magic left as I review the 2021 Restoration Rye Batch 3 whiskey.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Restoration Kentucky Rye Whiskey 2021 Batch 3

 

PROOF – 105

 

AGE – 3.5 years

 

COLOR – Harvest gold (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Sugary cereal like Captain Crunch, lemon zest, slightly floral and maltiness

 

TASTE – A lemon herbal tea with honey is immediately what I think of. There is a fair amount of rye spice bite in the back of the throat and the maltiness is weaved throughout.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. I might even be stretching a bit to call this a medium finish. The rye spice and maltiness stays and whiffs of lemon zest at the very end.

 

REVIEW – This rye whiskey is summer in a glass. The lemon zest makes it bright and vibrant without be obnoxious. There is just enough sweetness, rye spice and malt to balance out the citrus. I absolutely could see me sitting out on a late July evening and having a pour of this. Maybe even putting it in some 7-Up or ginger ale. Really a pleasant pour that doesn’t even drink at the 105 proof. If I didn’t know I would guess it more in the 90 proof range.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – I am an unapologetic E.H. Taylor fan boy. If he would be alive today, he would absolutely be THE rockstar in this whiskey craze. He was 100 years ahead of his time as he was thinking distilleries should be more than a barn with a still in it. Back when the distillery where Castle & Key is now attracted tourist and people would come to picnic where they were given complimentary “tenth pint” bottles of Old Taylor. This was in the late 1800’s and he was already doing what almost every distillery on the bourbon trail and off of it (for that matter) is doing. Distilleries today are shrines to their brand and they realize that the distillery can add to the attraction of the whiskey. Today, people have their weddings there as I personally saw one time when I was there.

 

If you are ever in Frankfort area, it is an absolute must stop even if the people you are with aren’t into whiskey, they will respect and be awed by the whiskey castle.

To find out more check it out here – Castle & Key

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Sagamore Double Oak Rye Review

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SUNDAY EVENING REVIEW

 

During my time doing these reviews, I have reviewed many double oaked whiskies but I have never reviewed a double oaked rye. That changes today as I review the Sagamore Double Oak Rye. Let’s see what the second barrel does to this rye.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Sagamore Spirit Rye Straight Whiskey Double Oak

 

PROOF – 96.6

 

AGE – No Age Statement (back of bottle states initial age of whiskey is 4 years before going in second barrel. On the website says that it stays in the second barrel for 18 months. So at least 5 ½ years old)

 

COLOR – Dirty copper (1.6 mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Chart)

 

NOSE – Herbal mint, black tea, strawberry taffy, vanilla wafer, Heath candy bar and oak

 

TASTE – Toffee, vanilla, herbal mint, black tea, hint of orange, milk chocolate, some baking spices and some sweet oak

 

FINISH – I would call this medium finish. The herbal mint, black tea, some of the orange and a little bit of the milk chocolate lasted until the end.

 

REVIEW – This is a rye drinkers rye. It has all the aspects of what people that drink ryes want. The double oak process I believe added some vanilla and toffee notes that help this rye from just drinking an herbal mint tea. It rounded out the whiskey and gave it far more interest and drinkability at the same time.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – I really wonder why there isn’t more double oaked ryes. I think the additional barrel can add depth as well as additional sweetness that can help round out some of the sharpness commonly found in a straight rye.

 

On another note, I just think these angular bottles with the copper and slate grey label are just stunning. It is simple and elegant without trying too hard.  Also, each Sagamore product that  is proofed is proofed with pure, limestone-filtered water from their Spring House built in 1909. It’s why each bottle bears a special 1909 marker.

To find out more check it out here – Sagamore Double Oak Rye

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.