I picked up a bottle of this Rye whiskey the other day at Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky. It is a Rye whiskey that was sent on a voyage from Savannah, Georgia through the Panama Canal, on to New Zealand and Australia, back through the Panama Canal, ending back in Savannah, Georgia. I think it did pick up some of the flavors of the sea on the voyage. Matt and I sat down to taste this bottle the other day and here are our tasting notes.
Jefferson’s Ocean Rye, Voyage 26
Proof: 96
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, honeysuckle, sea salt and oak wood.
- Matt: Rye grass, sea salt, vanilla, citrus and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, sea salt, lemon zest, cinnamon and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry brings out orange zest and makes the spice allspice and cardamom. Tasted with a pecan enhances the sea salt and makes the vanilla more of a caramel.
- Matt: Rye Grass, vanilla, sea salt, confectionary sugar, citrus and oak wood. The dried cranberry made it very spicy with citrus fruit. Lots of caramel, sea salt and allspice.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, cinnamon and sea salt. The dried cranberry made the finish very spicy with a hint of citrus. Long with oak, spice and sea salt.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood, cinnamon, sea salt and a hint of citrus. The dried cranberry made the finish spicy with cardamom and cinnamon and oak. Very long with a lot of sea salt, oak wood and baking spices.
I would pair this fine Rye whiskey with an Arturo Fuente Short Story cigar. I think the dark fruit, vanilla and rich tobacco flavors in the smoke would pair well with the sweetness and sea salt of the Rye whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller