As mentioned in my previous review of the thus far two-part (for now) Wiseman lineup from Kentucky Owl, the company was a runaway success started by Dixon Dedman, an innkeeper whose great-great-grandfather had started a pre-prohibition Bourbon distillery under the same name in the late 1800's. It eventually got acquired by the Stoli Group, which is probably most famous for its Stoli-branded vodka.

Dixon Dedman, innkeeper and incredible Bourbon man. (Image Source: Whisky Advocate)

A quick recap, we covered how Kentucky Owl was run based off on Dixon Dedman's impeccable palate and ability to source and blend great Bourbons. After Stoli Group bought the brand, Dixon had left to start another venture, and legendary Four Roses' veteran John Rhea. Up till that point, Kentucky Owl's bottlings were very much grab-'em-while-you-can, and so now, their focus has shifted to making sure that their Bourbons are reliably available year round, more affordable and easier to most palates.

Thus they've introduced The Wiseman - which is a regular release, much more affordable and bottled at a lower alcoholic proof. We've tasted the Wiseman Bourbon (review here) and now we're going to get down to tasting the Wiseman Rye.

The Wiseman Rye comes from a 95% rye mashbill (really high rye content in the ingredients used!) via Bardstown Bourbon Distilling Co, and is bottled at 100.8 Proof or 50.4% ABV. 

An interesting thing about the way American bourbon and whisky brands work is that lots of brands are completely run without producing any whisky themselves. For them, their job is to focus on getting the recipe right and then passing it along to one of the major bourbon producers who'll get it produced for them. It's a common practice and in no way an indicator of the brand's quality. There're loads of brands that do this and make incredible good and sought after Bourbons. Think of it as having the ability to solely focus on nailing the recipe and then being able to have it produced at a scale that makes it more affordable to retail.

The new distillery will have three pyramids. (Image Source: Whisky Advocate)

In any case, Stoli Group doesn't seem contented with contracting its Bourbon and has sought to invest US$150m into a state of the art distillery and site named "Kentucky Owl Park" - which by the way looks pretty incredible. Unfortunately construction plans have been delayed multiple times due to the pandemic but now seems underway. They've said that their plan isn't to solely produce Kentucky Owl's Bourbons, but also be a porducer themselves for other brands and perhaps even acquire a few more brands under their wing. 

Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, 100.8 Proof (50.4% ABV) - Review

Tasting Notes

Color: Honey

Aroma: It's alot sweeter and accessible than you'd ordinarily expect from a high rye whisky - honey, caramel, with fruitier notes of dried apricots, poached red apples, sticky date toffee pudding. The heat is really well restrained, not all that prickly, but yet it retains the really lovely rye aromas, think rye bread with anise, coriander seeds, white peppercorns. There's more on caramel Werther's candy, caramac caramel biscuits and vanilla cream. There's a nice toastiness as well, reminiscent of marshmallow s'mores.

Taste: Slightly heftier than medium-bodied, it starts off with a good dash of white peppercorns, but quite immediately turns towards a much deeper caramel richness, with notes of peanut brittle. This is accompanied by baking spice notes of clove, cinnamon and anise. There's a light touch of dried tropical fruits - mangoes, pineapples, cantaloupe, a sort of concentrated saccharine sweetness. There's more of oakiness, a sort of musty and dusty dry woodiness.

Finish: Long finish but clean and crisp, with just a touch of chopped parsley and honey. The oak is more apparent here and the heat turns up alittle more towards the finish.

My Thoughts

I really like this alot! I really enjoyed that peanut brittle note that I got, accompanied by the very comforting waves of caramel and spices of clove, cinnamon and anise. The aromas were approachable - I mean who doesn't like marshmallow s'mores? The palate was alot less spicy and herbaceous, and alot sweeter than you'd expect from most high-rye whiskies. In fact I'd say it mostly tends towards the sweeter profile, with just a nice hit of dried tropical fruit jujubes. The finish is pretty standard - clean, crisp, more warmth, nothing to write home about. 

Overall, this was a real standout for me, really great aromas and nice creamy mouthfeel and flavors. Some folks around me did think it was pretty spicy but I found it fine. It mostly reminded me of breakfast pancakes.

When you consider the price and how available it is - it's a no brainer. Fantastic value! You can find it at La Maison du Whisky (Singapore), Sip Whiskey (US), Liquor Barn (US), Weisshaus Shop (Europe), Passion For Whisky (Europe).

Kanpai!

@111hotpot