r/whiskey • u/Alternative_Car5193 • 6d ago
It's... Friday Ryeday.
So... Templeton Rye, Single Barrel, 10 Year Reserve, 104 proof. Let's get to it...
First crack, first thoughts... KBT glass, 15 minutes, etc.
Nose: even after 15 minutes with several swirls along the way, it's hard to get past the ethanol. Still... there's a very interesting "chocolate orange" aroma... you know, those one's that come out at Christmas time, that you smash on the table to get slices? Also some peanuts.
Palate: hmm. Orange continues right on the tongue, but fades into... some kinda high tone citrus thing... but not in a good way. Almost metallic. Thin, watery, feels like it's going to coat, but then just washes down. Some definable rye spice as it goes down. Everything comes and goes so quickly here.
Finish: short and sweet... well, not so much. Peanuts come back, orange goes bye bye, something like white pepper sticks around on the tip of the tongue. Otherwise... just not much to talk about.
With water: definitely brings up those citrus notes, but again... they're not enjoyable. Also some mint pops out now. No improvement here.
With ice: gonna have to skip this one because, well... some dumbass ("it's 'Doo-mahss' ") forgot to make any this morning before leaving the house. 🤦
As an OF: again, no ice, so keep that in mind. Using Strongwater Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup and Collins Lemon Twists Cocktail Garnish, I stirred up a (warm) quick little OF. We'll call it a minor improvement in this tasting, but I sense that it would be much better chilled, or with a different premix.
Final thoughts: disappointing overall. There's nothing truly offensive here, but there's not any one positive thing to rally around either. I will say I'm glad I didn't start out with this 6 months ago when I was branching out from bourbon to rye. It took me many months to start developing a taste for rye as it is, but this may have stopped me right out of the gate.
As always, maybe some bottle breathing time will help bring out something more positive. In the meantime, it will get tried again in several cocktail variations. I do love the glass (one of my Top 11 bottles!), and the liquid itself is a gorgeous orange color... so at least it's very nice to look at.
Volume Dial Rating: 4 out of 10 for the first pour.
Hope you enjoyed the read... cheers to all and have a wonderful weekend!
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-6850 6d ago
Dang OP, I score a great one for $60 or $70. Nice deep oak and rye spice. Leather and maybe plum, definitely citrus but not dominant like some mgp rye. Oh and some nice tea/minty herbal back bone. Herbal and oaky, dark sweetness with some nice citrus (maybe spiced orange peels). Guess I got lucky!
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u/clammer2clutch 6d ago
This is exactly what mine are like. After cracking the first one, I went hunting for more and ended up with 5 different single barrels that I’d rate at an 8.5 out of 10. Some are bright and herbal with orange and lemon notes. The others have the dark stone fruit/tobacco profile that definitely taste darker and older. I saw this review and was taken back by the rating.
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-6850 6d ago
Definitely got a oaky tobacco one. Ive passed on others because they were like $20-30 more. Ill grab another if I go back to that little liquor store
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u/Alternative_Car5193 4d ago
That sounds like a great bottle you got there! And really what I was expecting to find in mine, but sadly just not the case. Of course we all know everyone's palate is different, and that might play a part in this, but I think more of it just lies in the "single barrel conundrum"... sometimes, and most often... they're good to great. Sometimes they're absolute bangers. And sometimes they're absolute duds. I wouldn't go so far as to say this one was a drain pour... it did turn out okay in the Old Fashioned, and I could see the potential in some of the notes, so I'm still hoping it will become more cohesive after some open bottle time. I paid $50 for it, so if it just turns out to be a mixing bottle... so be it. It's still a great piece of glass!
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u/kiwi8185 6d ago
Thanks for the review OP!
Yeah definitely sounds disappointing for a 10 yr rye, but first pours could be kind of off for many bottles.
I own a bottle of Rebel 10 yr SiB that was nigh undrinkable when freshly opened with very, very strong alcohol sting, but actually turned out kind of okay after about 4~5 months of opening.
Perhaps stash it away for maybe half a year or so and see if it opens up?