Today, we are trying Widow Jane Apple Wood rye from Widow Jane Distillery, nestled in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. It has made a name for itself in the whiskey world since its inception in 2012. Their biggest claim to fame, from the website “with non-chill-filtration, and proofed with a hard-yet-sweet pure limestone water from the Legendary Rosendale Mines of Upstate New York.” Also, from the site, “Why this water, from these mines? Rosendale Cement was world-renowned for its strength. This toughness made it the building material of the early 20th century.” The distillery’s name pays homage to the Widow Jane Mine, further connecting its products to New York’s past.
Their 2023 release, Widow Jane Applewood Rye sells for $47, is somewhat hard to find, is 93 proof, and comes in an ordinary-looking corked bottle. After the initial aging, it is aged longer with some toasted apple wood staves. We could not find the mash bill or an age statement.
Lot of stuff to unpack here. First, pretty rare to have a whiskey from New York. Second, we have never heard of the “legendary” Rosendale mines, so not sure how big of an impact that is to anyone not in upstate New York. Third, not really sure why a water that makes good cement is a water that would make good whiskey. We have tasted Widow Jane’s 10-year-old Bourbon and liked it but did not review it for this site. So, let’s do our first official tasting of a product from Widow Jane, their Apple Wood Rye.
NOSE
Matt: Strong rye upfront, followed by tobacco, leather, vanilla, and a nuttiness. Getting a slight bit of red apple as well. Ice added brown sugar and more vanilla.
Todd: A big rye aroma hits you first with cedar, grass, leather and tobacco being the main secondary scents. Also, getting just a touch of vanilla and apple. Ice made it sweeter.
TASTE
Matt: Sweeter than the nose with a woody flavor I can’t place. Still strong on the rye with vanilla, brown sugar, and red apple all making their presence known. Ice brought out a little honey.
Todd: Just like the nose, rye is the big player here. Wood, toast, nuts, vanilla, and tobacco come in behind. Ice added a little butterscotch, mint, and more toast.
FINISH
Matt: Medium with some sweetness and a nice fresh rye spice.
Todd: Medium long with a sweet/spicey thing going on.
OVERALL
Matt: Would be in my top 5 of ryes under $50.
Todd: A very good rye for this price point.
Nose 3.75 out of 5
Taste 7 out of 10
Finish 3.75 out of 5
Total score 14.5 out of 20 barrels.
Not bad, not bad. This is an easy-drinking rye that could be enjoyed neat but is better in a cocktail, especially an Old Fashioned. This rye also has a nice sweet and spicey finish that a lot of ryes try for, but not all get. It is also kind of cool to have a bottle, seeing that it is not available everywhere. We have a lot of ryes we would put over Apple Wood, but not very many at or under that price. So, there is a value here.
In the end, Widow Jane Apple Wood Rye is a good rye at a decent price. If you can find it, and it is under $50, we recommend buying a bottle.