The Bulleit Rye 12 Year Old Straight American Whiskey

Tasting notes:
This ruby red sipper opens with a series of delights: pinecone studded parsnips, cumin baked on a drone engine, and curling wisps of honeywood.  I get the wooden handle of a badger-hair shaving brush, while Bill gets sequoia needle and carnauba wax shaving soap.  Stephen finds hints of dank tarragon and alpaca cud, but he’s reluctant to get too close to the alpaca to confirm the theory.

But the mouth confirms that he had nothing to worry about.  It’s smooth and humming, like JJ Johnson’s solo in “Jay” from the album, The Eminent JJ Johnson: Volume II.  But played with kazoo by His Eminence Himself to the astonishment and delight of the assembled kindergartners.  For our part, we are delighted by the balance.  Why, it’s as balanced as a seesaw with identically dressed identical twins on it (both chewing doublemint gum).  This is a sipper indeed, for here we find the rye bite is muted into a snarl, much like Dame Maggie Smith’s evolution as an actress.

The finish is a terracotta spice jar pulled from a tomb in Egypt, Arkansas.  It held pencil shavings and spearmint gum wrappers.  We then get Rolos™ flattened against a leather strop. But out of this, we discern a healing poultice applied by a grandmother to a child with mumps.  Finally, there’s a Chef’s Table reimagining of Ants on a Log, featuring sliced green pepper, creme fraiche, and cardamom pods.

 
 

Rating:
On the scale of roles played by Dame Maggie Smith–

The Bulleit Rye 12 Year Old Straight American Whiskey is the titular character in the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie–We are inclined to think that this rye is similarly influential.  It is right to regard itself as being at the prime of its life and to regard those who enjoy it as the crème de la crème.  

   

   

                                                           –John

   

   

–Our thanks to Bulleit for the sample!