Yeah baby, you discovered Rye!
My goto everyday rye is Rittenhouse…it’s like $25/bottle. So very good.
Basil Hayden makes a nice mid-tier rye that I enjoy
But when I want sublime and just amazing rye, I have Whistle Pig
High West Double Rye is really excellent bang for the buck.
terribly written recipe, but maybe good in a Pork Pie Hat
After years of toying with the idea, I made Alton Browns aged Eggnog recipe. Started a little late, so only aged 2 weeks, but Serious Eats says that you get diminishing returns after about 3 weeks. The recipe called for rum, bourbon, and cognac, but since I don’t keep cognac in the house, I used Zacapa 23 in its place. Might have been a waste, but honestly while it’s expensive for rum, it isn’t that expensive, and the result was quite good. Other liquors were Knob Creek, which was the bourbon I happened to have, and Don Q gold, because I dont generally keep Meyers around.
There was definitely a smoother flavor than fresh eggnog. There was some good flavor from the alcohol, particularly bourbon notes, but without any lingering burn. I’ll probably do it again next year, maybe in smaller mason jars to give away as presents.
Ordered it in a bar while on the company card, just because it was an Islay and I had moved all the way into that rarified air. Holy cow it is about perfect. Then I watched Parks and Recreation (I’m already about 70% Swanson) and felt like a bandwagon-jumper. Doesn’t matter, it’s perfect.
Also fun, I’ve released (not my label, I’m the backer) a bourbon brand, first release four single barrels that sold well, then ten barrels of a more affordable small batch that got stymied by the pandemic. We just moved the third of four pallets, then rebarreled (rebarrelled?) the rest to do a toasted release. Why? Because Kentucky, that’s why.