Bulleit Rye

It has been a while since I have posted so I thought I would at least put something up. I was lucky enough to have someone hand me a bottle of the new Bulleit Rye, so after a couple of rounds of tasting, here is what I have.

Bulleit Rye, 90 proof, 95% rye mash
On the nose I get vanilla, orange/cherry and a slight hint of tobacco.
The first sip is really smooth, sweet and suprisingly light. On subsequent tastes it begins to open up and more of the spice begins to come through. The finish has the normal peppery spicy rye finish to it.

This is rye was built for sipping in the shade on a hot day. But I don't want to leave you with just one set of notes so, here is how the Bulleit Rye held up in a couple of cocktails

Old Fashioned
Since the rye itself works well just sipped straight, the old fashioned seemed like an easy choice to try. The added flavors from the bitters blends well as usual with the rye flavors without becoming over powering.

Manhattan
This may be where it shines the best. I used a lighter, sweeter vermouth, Dolin. This balanced well with the delicate nature of the spirit. It also worked well with Carpano Antic and orange bitters, producing a balanced but sophisticated drink.

Sazerac
The Sazerac was not it's shining moment. The pernod rinse overpowered the gentle flavors of the spirit until the ice began to melt a little. The final swallows began to reveal some of the flavors of the rye.

Up next will probably be a Vieux Care, I think the Bulleit Rye will partner well with the cognac and sweet vermouth.