Next up for our review, Rendezvous Rye from High West Whiskey. RR is a blend of a 6 year old whiskey made from 95 % Rye and a 16 year old made with 80% Rye. That is a lot of Rye and a lot of years. It sells for around $55 and comes in the same tall, cool looking corked bottle like all the other High West whiskeys. It is bottled at 92 proof and around Indianapolis it is pretty easy to find.
Full disclosure, we are big fans of anything High West. Having said that, the only time we had tasted RR was at a tasting event with lots of other whiskeys. We really liked it and decided to get a bottle for Talking Bourbon. At current price we hope we made the right choice.
NOSE
Todd: Strong nose of Rye, leather and smoke. Also got a little citrus and something that reminded me of an oil painting, in a good way.
Ron: Oil paint does not sound good. I did get the Rye, leather and citrus along with cedar and spice. Also got a little nutty aroma along with the smell of pears. Really liked the nose on this stuff.
TASTE
Todd: Very smooth, even neat. Lots of Rye up front followed by cedar and spiciness. Also tasted a little of the citrus that I got on nose.
Ron: Big Rye taste along with some spice and cedar. Also got hints of oak, tobacco, and leather.
FINISH
Todd: Medium-long to long finish with a nice sweetness to follow all that spice.
Ron: Long sweet finish with some added citrus.
OVERALL
Todd: This is a big boy Rye that I really liked. Lots going on with the nose, complex taste and nice finish.
Ron: A nice complex Rye. Smooth from start to finish. I felt guilty about adding just one cube.
Nose 4.5 out of 5
Taste 9 out of 10
Finish 4.5 out of 5
Total 18 out of 20 Barrels
We really, really liked Rendezvous Rye. It would make a great addition to anyone’s cabinet. Great nose, great taste, smooth with a good finish, what more could you want? Well, it could be a little less expensive, but hey, we can’t have everything.