Bulleit Rye is a true American rye whiskey. Indeed, its mash bill reveals 95% rye, whereas the minimum is 51%.
Aged for over 6 years in highly burned American oak barrels, it offers a strong, assertive identity.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is very approachable and even quite fun, like a banana candy or a lightly spiced pear juice. Then cereals and vanilla quickly add a little roundness to this freshly acidic atmosphere.
Aeration in no way detracts from this joyfully fresh, fruity character, but adds a few touches of smoke and resin around the edges.
The palate is a little more serious, without losing its deliciousness. Even in the minority, malted barley brings its characteristic notes, where fermentation influences the depth and organic side of the profile. Cereal and toasted oak do the rest, for a sweet toasty flavor.
The finish is roasted, softly spicy, with reminiscences of caramelized banana in the length.
"A Rye Whiskey that's tasty and light at the same time, at ease in all situations..."
Stéphane Ti'verre
On the nose 👃🏻: at first, there's a lovely fruity side, like a pear juice just lightly oaked. The spices express themselves well with this high concentration of rye. I have a mixture of lightly caramelized sugar, vanilla, licorice, and above all a herbaceous touch such as dill. The woodiness remains light, as I said, never taking over. It's a very fresh young wood that delivers a slightly resinous note.
On the palate 👅: the entry is round and greedy, reasonably spicy. We're on very fresh flavors of pear and dill. Then it rises slowly but surely in intensity with rye and vanilla. The wood expresses itself a little more on subsequent sips, but always in moderation, bringing mainly licorice notes. The spices are not as strong on the palate as you'd expect from a high rye.
The finish is moderately long and fresh. It remains on a note of pinewood with dill. Note that it's here that the spices express themselves most in terms of intensity, which is what we love about Rye! 👌
Verdict ⚡️: this is a very nice rye whiskey at an affordable price. It's still a young product and therefore not very woody or complex, but with a very typical profile that will appeal to enthusiasts. I'd even go so far as to say that it's a small favorite in this category, which I've only recently begun to tackle 😀