Lee Kennedy, the distiller and owner of Leiper’s Fork Distillery, makes very good Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon, but his Rye whiskey is some of the best whiskey I have drunk. This rye whiskey is made with a mash bill of 55% rye, 30% corn and 15% malted barley and has a barrel entry proof of 110. Matt picked up this bottle for me while visiting the distillery with his father. I am very glad he got this bottle as it is an excellent whiskey. Matt and I both decided without a doubt that it should be our whiskey of the month for September. Here are our tasting notes.

Leiper’s Fork Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

Proof: 117.8

Age: Seven Years, Nine Months Old

Nose:

  • Mike: Caramel, milk chocolate, rye grass, plums, prunes, blackberries, baking spices and oak wood.
  • Matt: Rye grass, vanilla, lemon zest, peaches, baking spice and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Rye grass, caramel, blackberries, plums, prunes, cinnamon, cardamom and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the fruit notes are enhanced and black pepper spice comes forward. Tasted with a pecan and the milk chocolate comes forward and peach fruit joins the party.
  • Matt: Vanilla, peaches, lemon zest, ginger spice and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the fruit flavors. The pecan added a note of milk chocolate to the flavor.

Finish:

  • Mike: Long with oak wood, blackberries, prunes, cinnamon and lingering caramel. The dried cranberry added pepper spice to the finish. The pecan added chocolate to the finish.
  • Matt: Long with oak wood and vanilla. The dried cranberry added lingering peach notes to the finish. The pecan added lingering milk chocolate to the finish.

I would pair this fine rye whiskey with a Padron 1926 Serie Cigar. The vanilla and chocolate notes in the smoke would pair well with the sweet, candy notes of the rye whiskey.

Leiper’s Fork Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller