Whereas Iowa’s Templeton started making (and bottling) its personal distillate a number of years in the past, it’s additionally — barely unusually — nonetheless placing out sourced merchandise, together with this, Templeton Midnight Rye. Much more uncommon is what’s truly within the bottle — not only a mix of sourced whiskey comprised of the enduring 95% rye/5% barley mash (the distillery, and even the state of manufacturing, should not disclosed), and in addition a “refined contact of premium darkish Port wine.” It’s not a completed whiskey, thoughts you, it’s truly a whiskey with some Port added to the combo.
It’s for positive one of many strangest whiskeys I’ve sampled within the final yr or so, kicking off with a nostril than melds that traditional, grassy-and-peppery 95/5 rye with a daring layer of sweetness. What first presents as chocolatey ultimately fades into a mixture of brown sugar and cotton sweet. In time, this sweetness absolutely dominates, pushing the bottom spirit into the background. Breathe deep and a winey high quality, barely gummy in tone, turns into evident — although it’s an aroma I normally affiliate extra with pink wine cask ending.
The palate is, as anticipated, fairly candy, although right here the Port high quality is extra apparent. Chocolate-covered raisins and a layer of spice kick issues off, adopted rapidly by that aggressive, gummy high quality that once more evokes wine barrel ending. Right here the underlying rye will get greater than slightly misplaced, muddied by parts of toasted sesame oil, anise, waxy drugstore goodies, and a slight petrol bent. That unctuous “outdated wine” character all however dominates the end, pairing fitfully with the candylike assault — and cementing the whiskey’s standing as an oddball mixer.
90 proof.
B- / $40
Templeton Midnight Rye
$40
