Wakey Whiskey: Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

By Eric Ducote

Good morning all and HAPPY M'F'IN' GAMEDAY to you all!  We wait all off-season for this day with a bit of hope that this season is going to be the one.  This season LSU is going to beat Alabama, win the SEC, go to the playoffs, and win the WHOLE DAMN THING.  We also all know that this isn't likely, but hey, for now, I'm saying there's a chance.  LSU is starting off the season with the University of Miami, which is a tough test right out the gate, both for the Tigers and for my wakey whiskey selection.  I try to tie what I'm drinking in to who the team is playing, or where they are, or just something that makes a connection.  

Well, I don't have any Miami whiskey.  I don't even have any whiskey from the state of Florida.  Do they even make whiskey in Florida?  What's "Florida Man" up to these days anyway?  In the absence of a Miami connection, I had to go with the backup plan, base my selection off of where I am at the time.  Well it turns out for this Labor Day weekend I'm on vacation in Knoxville, Tennessee, and in the Bite and Booze collection just happened to be a bottle of Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey from the Sugarlands Distilling Company in nearby Gatlinburg.  

Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

This is a blend of three barrels from the same batch that were all barreled at 118.42 proof back on May 29th, 2015, then aged for two years and five months prior to bottling at barrel strength.  The final proof on this whiskey is a robust 120.98 for 60.49% alcohol by volume.  As mentioned before, this is a straight rye whiskey, with a grain bill of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley.  All of that information is right on the bottle (plus more) which is phenomenal for a whiskey geek like me.  

Now, the whiskey, this was aged in 25 gallon barrels so even though it's only around 2.5 years aged that increased surface area per volume will augment the aging process.  This sped up process leaves a rich copper colored whiskey with hints of red and orange.  The nose is potent with alcohol but also some cinnamon and vanilla notes.  The taste is strong with a pronounced alcohol burn (to be expected!) then the oak and vanilla comes through from the barrel char as well as more cinnamon notes which is very typical for rye-heavy whiskeys.  This is definitely a sipper that will probably benefit from an ice cube of a splash of water (maybe next pour) but it's a good sip just served neat and room temperature.

I'm glad to have tried this one, now I need to look for some other Sugarlands products while I'm up in Knoxville.  Cheers! and GEAUX TIGERS! 

Wakey Whiskey: Basil Hayden's Dark Rye

Good morning to everyone, and I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are thoroughly enjoying this holiday weekend!  The Fightin' Tigers of LSU have a chance tonight to beat Texas A&M (again) and move to 9-3 on the season, which would be pretty remarkable when you look back at how the first 5 games of the season played out. One thing I'm thankful for this year, is Bite and Booze whiskey samples!  This morning I'm trying out the Basil Hayden's Dark Rye, a blended whiskey out of the Jim Beam small batch collection.  

Basil Hayden's brand itself is named after Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr. who was one of the early figures of the American whiskey industry around the time of the American revolution.  This Dark Rye is actually a blend of three different spirits, starting with Kentucky Rye produced by Basil Hayden's, then some Alberta Rye (which you might remember from an earlier wakey whiskey post!) which is owned by the same parent company, Beam Suntory, and finally a little bit of California Port.  Due to the addition of the port, you actually won't find this referred to directly as a "whiskey" on the bottle, but make no mistake, this is still without a doubt a whiskey, just with a bit of 'natural flavors' added.  

The "Dark" in the name is quite apparent, with a deep amber verging on solid brown apparent even though the small media sample bottle.  It's not quite as dark as the Alberta Rye Dark Batch from that earlier wakey whisky post, but it's getting close.  The aroma is strong with sweet molasses and spicy cinnamon which really play together well and create a complex and intriguing bouquet.  On the taste, the complexity is still there with a pronounced cinnamon spiciness, a pleasant oakiness, and hints of vanilla and fruit.  This whiskey (at a modest 80 proof) finishes smooth with one last hint of cinnamon spice that is characteristic of a rye-heavy mash.  

In conclusion, a very pleasant sip, easy drinking and complex enough to keep me interested throughout the pour.  This would be a great addition to any liquor cabinet, and I could see it really being a good choice for someone looking to learn more about rye whiskies. Happy holiday weekend everyone, have a great gameday and Geaux Tigers! 

Wakey Whisky: Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch

by Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone and a happy #WakeyWhisky to you on World Whisky Day! World Whisky Day (#WorldWhiskyDay) was founded in 2012 by Blair Bowman, a university student in Scotland, and has grown into a worldwide celebration of all things whisky and whiskey.

 According to Bowman, "World Whisky Day is all about making whisky fun and enjoyable. It’s not about being exclusive or prescriptive. You can drink it however you enjoy it (ice, water, mixer – whatever works for you). We want to be all inclusive and that means any kind of whisky/whiskey from anywhere in the world."

For me, that really meant I wanted to try something that wasn't a typical American whiskey and get into something from somewhere else in the world, so I dug through the Bite And Booze whisk(e)y collection and found something new to me. My pick is the Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch, a blended rye whisky from Calgary, Canada. This is a unique blend, 91% Canadian Rye Whiskey, 8% Bourbon, and 1% Sherry. Alberta Distillers is the largest rye whisky distiller in North America, but they must source their bourbon from the United States, as it's only legal to call a product bourbon if it's from the US of A. I would also assume that the sherry is sourced, then blended with some of their choice barrel aged rye whisky to create this blend. 

Normally, I'm a bigger fan of non-blended whisky and whiskeys, but I do enjoy a good rye, and a blend with bourbon and sherry sounds intriguing, so... let's dig in. The nose is robust, with the typical cinnamon spice from a rye whisky and also a hint of the sweetness coming from the sherry. Honestly, an excellent first impression, and it's a powerful aroma, I could pick it up as soon as I popped the cork on the 750ml bottle. 

The taste, more of the same, but even better. It's a powerful whisky without being obnoxious, coming in at 90 proof and 45% abv. The cinnamon spice is still going strong, with strong charred oak characteristics from all contributors to the blend, and a sweet honeysuckle-esque finish. The spice lingers for a bit, even getting up into my nostrils as I breathe while I write this post.

From what I can find online, this bottle should be somewhere between $30-$40 if you can find it, which I think is an excellent value. It's exactly on the tipping point between easy drinking and robust without finding it's way into the "so strong it's hard to drink," or "so weak it's barely there" categories. An excellent blend, a real eye opener for me, and without a doubt a pleasant surprise.

I'll be enjoying plenty more of this spirit in the future, but for now, CHEERS!, #wakeywhisky, and Happy #WorldWhiskyDay to you all!

Wakey Whiskey: Templeton Rye

'by Eric Ducote

Hello Bite and Booze readers! I'm sure plenty of you know who I am, but for those who don't, I'm Eric Ducote, Jay's brother and fellow lover of whiskey. For years we have had a tradition of "wakey whiskey" going back to when Jay, myself, and some of our good friends would meet up at 7 AM for every LSU home game to get our Third Row tailgate party set up for the day. It just wasn't a good tailgate morning without a bright and early whiskey drink before getting the party in full swing. Back in those days it was usually cheap bourbon and diet coke, but as we have all grown older and wiser the game day whiskey selections have matured as well.

I know, it's not football season, in fact it's not even close to football season, but a good wakey whiskey doesn't have to be a football-only activity. I believe that a good wakey whiskey is the perfect start to any big day, so long as it's always drank responsibly. Today I'm celebrating the #2 ranked LSU Gymnastics team as they take on #3 Florida this afternoon in Baton Rouge. It's been many years since I've made it to a gymnastics meet, but my wife scored us a pair of tickets, so that's today's plan, and it's an added bonus to make it to such a highly ranked match-up.

In honor of this great occasion, it's time for a wakey whiskey. This morning's selection is a Templeton Rye, AKA "The Good Stuff" from Templeton Rye Spirits. This is an 80 proof rye whiskey that claims to be created from the same recipe that outlaw bootlegger Alphonse Kerkhoff used to create Al Capone's favorite prohibition-era moonshine. 

Wakey Whiskey: Templeton Rye

I typically serve my whiskey with an ice sphere so that it slowly melts and subtly changes the flavor as I drink, although sometimes I also drink them neat. For the Templeton Rye, an ice cube worked just fine. The pour is an amber golden color, exactly what I would expect, and the aroma is a classic spicy rye that hints at spice and cinnamon. Upon first sip, one thing I would definitely say is that this is far smoother than I was expecting for a bottle without a specific age. It's easy on the palate, with more hints of cinnamon and even a bit of sweetness on the back end. I can definitely see why this recipe is referred to as "The Good Stuff" as it is a pleasure to drink.

Most prices I see online are in the upper $30s for a 750ml bottle, which makes this an excellent value in my opinion, perfect for adding to your personal sipping collection or it would make a great gift.

Cheers, #wakeywhiskey, and Geaux Tigers!

Grain-to-Glass with WhistlePig: Whiskey Wednesday

by Sydney Blanchard

WhistlePig's barn-to-distillery set up in Vermont

You may have heard of farm-to-table, but have you heard of grain-to-glass? WhistlePig, a highly-decorated aged-rye whiskey, just opened a brand new distillery in a converted 100-year-old barn on the WhistlePig Farm in Vermont.

This makes WhistlePig one of the few American whiskey companies to conduct the entire whiskey-making process in one place, which is pretty cool.

From harvesting the rye fields to distilling, barreling, aging, and bottling the liquid, it's a grain-to-glass affair.

The distillery grows its own rye on the farm, pigs are fed the spent rye grain, and oak trees logged on the farm become barrels in which to age the rye.

We're really digging what WhistlePig is doing in Vermont. Wouldn't it be awesome to see more grain-to-glass distillers in Louisiana?

Who Dat Rye: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

The Who Dat Rye at Lock & Key Whiskey Bar in Baton Rouge, LA

While there are some whiskey cocktails designed for the faint of heart at Lock and Key, there are several pages of the menu dedicated to those who embrace the stuff.

The Who Dat Rye featuring Wild Turkey Rye, Luxardo Cherry Liqueur, bitters, and Herbsaint rinse is bold, but refreshing.

It’s got a strong whiskey taste and the liqourice-y zing of Herbsaint quickly follows. Some may shy away from the strong flavor that so many classic southern drinks share, but I crave them.

A fun twist to this cocktail that something like the Sazerac doesn’t have is the Luxardo cherry liqueur.

If you don’t know what a Luxardo cherry is, it’s those really dark cherries popping up on bamboo skewers in drinks everywhere. It’s the OG maraschino cherry.

The benefit of adding the cherry liqueur is that it takes the edge off of all of the other strong flavors and makes the Who Dat Rye a chilled, sip-worthy cocktail to enjoy on a hot Louisiana evening after work.

High West Whiskey Son of Bourye: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

High West Whiskey Son off Bourye

The High West Whiskey Son of Bourye presents a blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskeys to create an extremely satisfactory elixir. At 46% ABV, the whiskey from Utah packs a good punch. The booze comes through on the nose along with vanilla and candy corn. On the tongue we picked up flavors like spiced caramel, white pepper, and a slight smoke. On the finish it stings a little with the spiciness from the rye. Pepper, hay, and a hint of mint at the end coat your tongue on the way down.

The whiskey is very complex with the nose, taste, and finish all providing different flavors. The one knock that I'd give the whiskey is that those flavors don't come together in as balanced of a way as I'd like. The flavors are distinct and complex, but not quite all woven together in harmony. At $9 a pour at Lock & Key, this whiskey actually get a great "bang for the buck" score. It is undoubtedly worth the money for anyone who wants to give it a try!

High West Whiskey Son of Bourye
Average Score: 84.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene. Using our own proprietary scoring system, whiskeys are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, Balance and Complexity, and "Bang for the Buck" which should encompass the whiskey's overall value. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable, you'd let somebody buy you one) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss, anything above 80 is rather extraordinary, and anything above 90 is world class.

Who makes the best American whiskey? - Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey

Last week I wrote about the best single malt whisky in the world for 2015 according to Whisky Magazine's World Whiskies Awards. For this week's Whisk(e)y Wednesday posted, presented by Baton Rouge's Lock & Key Whiskey Bar, I wanted to reveal the results of the American Whiskey category.

For starters, the Balcones Texas Single Malt represented America in the single malt category. The Son of Liberty Seasonal Hop Flavored Whiskey also too the American spot in the flavored whiskey category.

For Best American Whiskey, the categories are best bourbon, best non-bourbon, best rye, and best wheat whiskey. The Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year won best bourbon, proving that their hype isn't solely based on supply and demand. The Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn whiskey won for best non-bourbon. The Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey took the prize in the rye category while the Parker's Heritage Collection Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey won its round. Out of those finalists, the Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye took home the best American Whiskey. Congrats to them! Oh, and you can find it at the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar!

Willett 2 Year Rye: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Willett 2 Year Rye

Unlike last week's review of Maker's Mark, which all things considered proved to be a massive disappointment, Willett's two year rye whiskey impressed our panel. This rare whiskey is interesting because it came from Willett's own copper still rather than being sourced from somewhere else as Willett's previous bourbons and ryes have been. You can find this beauty at the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar for $8 a pour, which also makes it a pretty incredible deal! Willett is also on our list of distilleries to visit when we do a tour in July. You should join us!

The rye comes in big on the nose with grains, grass trimmings, and buttercream icing. You get the booze from the cask strength bottling at 111.4 proof yet it remains fairly clean. On the palate the whiskey presents hay, amber waves of grain, and a multitude of baking spices. It tastes a little green too, like freshly cut grass, or really more likely whiskey that has great potential but probably belongs in the barrel a little longer. The finish is sharp, bold and sweet, however, not too harsh for the over-proofed rye. Again, you can tell the whiskey is young. It is front heavy, giving you more at the start than on the finish. With a little more time in the barrel Willett will really be onto something with this rye.

Willett 2 Year Rye
Average Score: 76.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Jeremy Spikes. Using our own proprietary scoring system, whiskeys are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, Balance and Complexity, and "Bang for the Buck" which should encompass the whiskey's overall value. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable, you'd let somebody buy you one) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss, anything above 80 is rather extraordinary, and anything above 90 is world class.

Come to Lock & Key Tonight: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Evan Williams Single Barrel

I'll be at the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar  tonight for a little in-person Whisk(e)y Wednesday! The bar will be offering a special Louisville-Bardstown-Frankfurt flight with Willett 2 year Rye, EH Taylor Single Barrel, and Evan Williams Single Barrel for $18. You can of course also try anything else from their vast collection any of the happy hour cocktails (until 7). Go ahead and plan to join us for Whisk(e)y Wednesday Flight Night tonight, Wednesday, January 28th, from 6-8 PM. 

Myrna from Roux Wine Tours and I will be there to drink some bourbon, tell you about a fantastic trip we're planning for July, and just have a good time! Speaking of the trip, we are going to tour Bourbon Country from July 9-13, 2015! We'll be staying in Louisville and taking day trips to Bardstown and Frankfurt. We're going to be doing the trip in true Bite and Booze style with VIP tours, excellent meals, and nobody has to drive! You can get more information tonight at Lock & Key or you can enter your email address at the link above.

The Sazerac: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key Whiskey Bar

Lock & Key's Sazerac

The Sazerac is a cocktail of historic lore. The fact that it was created in New Orleans is undisputed, but the legends of apothecaries, pharmacists, and bartenders that contributed to the cocktail are vastly differing. One thing we do know is that the Sazerac started with a base of Cognac, Sugar, Peychaud's Bitters, a lemon peel, and of course a glass lined with Absinthe. Throughout the course of history due to a devastated grape crop in France and the craft wine industry successfully lobbying to outlaw absinthe, the cocktail transitioned from cognac and absinthe to rye whiskey and Herbsaint. Herbsaint, of course, is almost an anagram for absinthe, and highlights many of the same herbs as the Green Fairy minus the wormwood, the herb which was claimed to be hallucinogenic.

The Lock & Key Whiskey Bar features a more new world Sazerac on their featured cocktail list as well as on their happy hour menu ($5) from 4:30-7 PM M-F. The Sazerac-Sazerac ($10 regularly) begins with Sazerac brand rye whiskey and continues with the aforementioned bitters, and Herbsaint. You'll definitely get a taste of a fine Louisiana cocktail here!

Also of note, tonight at Lock & Key is their monthly Women & Whiskey Event. The free educational whiskey lesson is from 6:30-8:30 tonight. Anybody is welcome!

Big Announcements from LA1: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Donner-Peltier's LA1 Whiskey

Happy Whisk(e)y Wednesday everyone! I'm excited to share some big news out of Thibodaux, Louisiana's Donner-Peltier Distillery which means great things for LA1 Whiskey. They will soon be expanding their distillery and in the coming months will begin full time production of the LA1 Whiskey. This production will not only include the LA1 Louisiana Whiskey which has already been released a couple times in very limited quantities, but also some brand new spirits: LA1 Rye & LA1 Bourbon! If this doesn't make you excited, then you probably shouldn't be reading my Whisk(e)y Wednesday posts. I'll keep you posted about when we can expect these new whiskeys to be released. In the meantime, I think they still have a little bit of LA1 over at Lock & Key.

Also, congratulations to Donner-Peltier are in order because the Rougaroux Sugarshine Rum was just awarded a score of 93 by the Beverage Tasting Institute (BTI), making it the highest rated rum being made and produced in Louisiana! Make sure to look for all their products including the other Rougaroux Rums as well as the Oryza Vodka and Gin at both locations of Calandro's Supermarket in Baton Rouge!

Whiskey Cane and Flight School: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Whiskeycane at Lock & Key

Sometimes I need a delicious cocktail to get me through the day. While Whisk(e)y Wednesday usually features various worldly whiskies by themselves, we sometimes can't resist featuring a whiskey based cocktail that'll make your mouth water. Take, for example, the Whiskeycane at Lock & Key. A play on the famous New Orleans Hurricane, the Whiskeycane uses bourbon and rye in addition to rum with organic passion-pear juice, muddled orange, lime, and cherries, and Luxardo cherry juice. The refreshing cocktail is not overly sweet. The natural fruit sugars shine but it is cut by the bourbon and citrus acidity for present a pleasant beverage. Seriously, try one.

Also of note, tonight at Lock & Key is their first ever Flight School. The idea of Flight School is to do a monthly class featuring different flights of whiskey in an educational and intoxicating session. Three whiskies, a rye, a bourbon, and a Scotch will be poured tonight for only $22. The event goes from 6:30 to 8 PM.

Lock & Key's Whiskeycane

Whisk(e)y Wednesday tasting at Lock & Key while recording the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket

LA1 at Lock & Key

A few weeks ago we recorded an episode of the Bite and Booze Radio Show while tasting whiskey and whisky for Whisk(e)y Wednesday segments on the blog. Talk about multi-tasking!

Around the table we had Arthur Lauck, co-owner of the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar, Charles Pierce, the producer and host of the Me and My Big Mouth Radio Show and Podcast, and Jeremy Spikes for the site formerly known as whisky bomb dot com.

We were treated with an excellent collection of booze capped with a cocktail. We began with the Knob Creek Rye, then moved on to the Green Spot Irish Whiskey followed with the Bruichladdich Rocks Scotch. To cap it all off we had a taste of the Whiskey Cane... and whiskey based Hurricane that is a must-try!

Take a listen to the show as we talk whiskey, drink whiskey, and enjoy whiskey at the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar!


Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, Charlies Pierce, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM and replays Sundays at 8 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge. The show is hosted by Jay Ducote and won a Taste Award in January 2014 as the best food or drink based radio broadcast in the country. The producer of the show is Chris Courtney at Guaranty Broadcasting and the field producer is Charles Pierce from the Me and My Big Mouth Show. It is also available on iTunes. The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce, Visit Baton Rouge, Portico Restaurant and Bar, Lock & Key Whiskey Bar, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Mason's Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers (Rougaroux Rums and Oryza Vodka and Gin), Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, the Louisiana Culinary Institute and Triumph Kitchen.

Belgium: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

We're sadly halfway through the FIFA World Cup 2014. Our final stop in group play along the street food guide to the World Cup is Belgium (playing Korea Republic at 3pm CDT) . Popular for their delicious chocolate and beer, we will be taking a look at Belgian waffles, and the Rub & Rye cocktail!

Photo Credit: roaminghunger.com

It's amazing how many variations to the waffle one can pull off. The Belgian waffle is an extremely popular street food. You can find carts all over carrying sweet, savory and everything in between waffles! I don't know about you, but this sounds like my kind of place! Wafel and Dinges is probably the most popular waffle truck around in Belgium, and I found a recipe for their Brussels Waffle. You can add anything on top of these things and it will taste amazing. Let me know what combinations you try by leaving a comment or telling us about it on the Facebook page!

Photo Credit: liquor.com

The Rub & Rye cocktail highlights a popular Belgian beer called Peche Mel. For those of you who don't know, peche is French for peach. Rye whiskey combined with maple syrup, fluffy egg white foam, lemon juice and peach flavors makes for a decent sounding drink if you ask me! It sounds like the makings of some sort of peach sidecar. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Knob Creek Rye: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Knob Creek Rye

We haven't featured much Rye Whiskey here on the Whisk(e)y Wednesday but it makes an appearance every now and then. Today is actually a special day because tonight at the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar you can taste this whiskey and several more bourbons from the small batch collection of the Jim Beam distillery including Booker's, Baker's, and Basil Hayden's. The event starts at 6:30.

As for the Knob Creek Rye, we really enjoyed it. The nose is robust and mighty. You can nearly smell it from across the bar. Cinnamon combines with floral notes an a bit of honey sweetness. I caught a whiff of bubble gum on the nose which quickly turned into Big Red chewing gum. The 100 proof whiskey doesn't play around on the tongue either. Right up front you are hit with pepper and other spices. It is a cornucopia of chewy whiskey as the oily texture coats your entire mouth and is surprisingly smooth compared to what the proof and aroma would suggest. With a little water it opens up with some oak and floral notes. The finish is strong and sticks with you. All in all, this is a pretty darn good rye. I'd gladly use it in cocktails and could drink it straight again if I had to!

Knob Creek Rye
Average Score: 76.0

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, Charlies Pierce, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

"Month of Salads" Post II: Root's Grilled Duck Heart Salad

Grilled Duck Heart Salad at Root

Not all salads are created equal, but during my Month of Salads I'm determined to post about as many as I can. Take, for example, the grilled duck heart salad at Root in New Orleans. While I can understand some people not considering this masterpiece on a plate as a salad, in my book you needn't be traditional in the world of salads. There's nothing wrong with deconstruction or going lighter on lettuce or greens. This epic salad from NOLA's home for molecular gastronomy features black duck and liver terrine, pickled Silver Queen corn, pine nut rye picada, black currant tapenade, nitro freeze dried corn, and delightful slices or seared duck heart. If that makes you squeamish, then shame on you. The duck heart is incredible. The muscle of full of flavor and the rest of the salad is as delicious as the plating is beautiful. Plus, this salad only runs $13 and is easily shared as an appetizer before the rest of your can't-miss meal at Root. I shared mine with a table for six and we all, well, those of us who were up for the challenge, got a taste! There's plenty on the menu at Root to tantalize your taste buds, but don't overlook the salads!

McKenzie Rye Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

McKenzie Rye Whiskey

McKenzie Rye Whiskey comes from the previously mentioned Finger Lakes Distilling in New York.  With a slightly spicy nose, this whiskey let us know that is distinctly not a bourbon.  With a heavy rye presence in the grain bill, the McKenzie definitely picks up the cinnamon flavors, kinda like Big Red chewing gum, that comes with it.  The taste is earthy with a little warmth from subtle spice.  Jeremy reminisced about a weird salad.  I found it to be rather easy drinking for a rye, especially tasting it straight.  It finishes smoothly, going down easy for a 91 proof spirit.  Eric was really impressed with the finish.  Overall we thought found McKenzie Rye Whiskey rather intriguing and enjoyable.  It could perhaps have used a little more rye spiciness, but it certainly had some good characteristics and I'd gladly use it in any cocktail calling for a rye!

McKenzie Rye Whiskey

65.75 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Finger Lakes Distilling: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Jay poses outside the Finger Lakes Distillery

For the first time, Whisk(e)y Wednesday features a distillery instead of a single whisk(e)y review.  Don't worry, the actual whiskey from Finger Lakes Distilling will come in subsequent posts, but for now, I wanted to give a little shout out to Brian McKenzie and the Finger Lakes Distillery.  I had the chance to visit his fine establishment recently.  It was my first time New York's wine country, and finding the distillery certainly made me happy after two days of Reislings.  Brian's distillery puts out vodka, gin, liqueurs, grappa, brandy, and of course, whiskey.  I got a sampling of all of it, but the whiskey certainly interested me the most.  Finger Lakes had a white whiskey, pure pot still whiskey, bourbon, and rye.  Again, each will get their own separate Whisk(e)y Wednesday review, so I won't go into further detail.

The beautiful distillery sits on the hills overlook Seneca Lake.  Just a little ways from Watkins Glen and the speedway there, the Glen Thunder White Whiskey pays tribute to the bootleggers who gave birth to stock car auto racing in America.  The gin and some of the fruit liqueurs I also found to be especially interesting.  The scenery all around the distillery is fantastic, especially when copper stills and oak barrels highlight your view!  This is definitely an artisan distillery to check out if you're ever in the Finger Lakes area of New York.  Amid all the vineyards and wineries, your palate will appreciate a little whiskey break!


Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.