Time for a non single malt scotch review. I know some of you do not approve (yes, you Stuart – I am looking at you), but this blog is all about whisky and whiskey, and I’ve not done that in some time. Bulleit Rye is widely available these days, and it’s even sold locally in Israel, and at a reasonable price ( you can get it here for for well under 200 NIS). I quite like drinking Rye whiskies neat, or with a bit of ice when it gets hotter, but the reason I bought this one was for mixing. A while back at some whisky event I drank a very yummy Bouleverdier cocktail made with Bulleit Rye, and figured I should mixing some at home. If we’re talking mash bills, this one has 95% Rye mash bill (which is quite high), and 5% is malted barley. Not bad.
Anyways, let’s get tasting , shall we?
Bulleit Rye , 45% abv , £32
Nose: Spicy and quite sharp despite the modest abv. Pine needles and mint on the nose with a nectarine citrusy note. Sweet and sugary and some nail polish and creamy vanilla, to balance it all.
Palate: Starts quite sharp with lots of spices: eucalyptus , pepper and oranges. Getting creamier and more vanilla centric but still retaining the spicy tang. Fruit too: peach and apricot.
Finish: spices. Citrus and the orchard fruit with pepper and mint.
This is not the most complex Rye around, but it’s a very easy sipping sort of rye, if you get what I mean. It is really nice with a bit of ice to open it up, and I’ve found it does provide a good base for some nice cocktails. It’s not cheap but it’s also not very expensive (I bet it costs much less in the USA), so you should consider it as a good ingredient in homemade cocktails, which are always fun (especially as summer approaches). A nice additon to your bar and a decent Rye you can get in Israel…
Bought a bottle last month and it’s almost empty by now… That’s a good sign isn’t it?