Matt and I recently went to the Mount Vernon Historical home with Rosemary and Becca. While there, we purchased several bottles, including this one. It is their first eight year old rye whiskey and it is a good one. The distiller, Steve Bashore has recently left the distillery, but he made this rye whiskey with the advice of many other Master Distillers along the way. Lisa Wicker was a particularly important adviser to Bashore. I would not be surprised if she was there when this whiskey was made. It is an expensive bottle with the price being north of $300.00 for a 375 ml bottle, but it was worth the price. Besides, the money made from the sale supports the Mount Vernon Historical Home and Distillery. Matt and I tasted this whiskey and immediately decided it was a candidate for whiskey of the month. We sat down and blind tasted it with the other candidate and it won the blind tasting. Here are our tasting notes.
George Washington Rye – Commander in Chief
Proof: 110.2
Age: Eight Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Rye grass, peaches, caramel, chocolate, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, peaches, lavender, cinnamon, and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Rye grass, caramel, peaches, cinnamon and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the cinnamon comes forward. Tasted with a pecan and chocolate and black pepper come forward.
- Matt: Caramel, toffee, peaches, cinnamon, coriander, and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the cinnamon. The pecan enhanced the toffee and brought out a note of coffee.
Finish:
- Mike: Long with oak wood, cinnamon and lingering caramel. The dried cranberry made the finish long and spicy with oak wood and cinnamon red hot candy. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, black pepper and lingering chocolate.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and cinnamon. The dried cranberry made the finish long and spicy with oak wood and cinnamon. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood and coffee.
I would reach for one of my favorite cigars to pair with this fine rye whiskey, a My Father The Judge cigar. The vanilla and chocolate notes in the smoke would pair well with the sweetness of the rye whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller