FRYEday with Rich; Ep. 54

Daniel AI: It is F-RYE-Day at brass and beyond. One of the things we have been so lucky with here is meeting fantastic people. Rich is one of those. He brought over a bunch of ryes and we talk about most of them. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. A very special thank you to Rich for bringing and sharing some fantastic ryes. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website bourbonbrassandbeyond.com. us and leave a review. Thanks for watching.

Dan And Rich: Good evening. Good evening. This is Rich and welcome to Bourbon Brass and Beyond. We are doing a rye night. Thanks for having me. Yeah, hey. Thanks for having me. I'm excited we're doing rye. You know, the brown spirits and everything made with sugars, rum, everything else is whiskey. you know about the Kentucky bourbon ⁓ rye is its ⁓ right? Right. Well. Almost the first sibling. So tell me what we got. So we've got a a couple ryes here. Typically the ryes tend to be 100 proof. They've got a nice punch to A finish. You know, the Tennessee. You know, Jack Daniel's favorite. This is a single barrel barrel proof rye, about 132 proof. Old Forester, another fantastic huge distiller with a great rye. Mason Dixon, a new player, ⁓ independent out of Gettysburg. ⁓ Owner ⁓ Yanni on site all the time. Very passionate. This is one of their first of their own juice where they've distilled. Thomas Handy, one of the elite ryes and actually the refined brother of Sazerac rye. And then the Van Winkle, Pappy version of rye, which is the elite, one of the ryes you could ever experience. Nice. Well, ⁓ I'd like to start with think it's... Only fitting. when you drink a a Jack barrel proof, whether it's the heritage a tanyard hill, this is not the Jack Daniels you threw up in high school. Whenever someone Jack Daniels, they say no. They think about old number seven. These are a lot more refined, you know, expressions anything that you can buy at a quick store at 1230 at night. that's nice. You don't get as much of the Tennessee whiskey with it. You do not. ⁓ rye comes through and most of the time when you're on the nose of a rye, it's ⁓ popcorn, it's caramel corn, it's a sweet flavor. You ⁓ rye to old men with red noses that pay for hamburgers on Tuesday. But ⁓ it's a nice nose, it's sweet, and you It's not astringent and the legs are good. So you're to have some good viscosity. It's going to coach your tongue very well. So cheers. Did it taste like 132 proof dad? No, get the pepper. But not 132. ⁓ No, you hit it right on the head. The Jack is more that spicy, the peppery. It's a bit of warmth. It's not even really the Kentucky hug. This would probably make a great Manhattan in old fashion with that peppery undertone. finish to me isn't long. you drink it you're done. You're looking for the next one Right, I get a lot of that. I get like a snickerdoodle cookie I have you know people say that you get the snickerdoodle the the baking spices Yeah, the sugar cookie. That's that rye grain coming out and and You know giving it that sweet undertone yeah i like it and i think i tend to i like the sweeter bourbons for the sweeter you know whiskey but this is really nice i mean who doesn't want something sweet who doesn't want something smooth right i mean i gave up on mouthwash and gasoline a long time Right. And I'm not one that chases proof. want flavor. ⁓ ⁓ is really nice. ⁓ I do chase proof and ⁓ feel many that the proof carries the flavor. I look at the proof like an opera singer, you know, that higher proof holds the note and I'm usually let down. that's true. That's nice. And this is readily available. It comes out a couple times a year. You should be able to go on some kind of state website and find a store that's not far from you to get it. It won't break the bank. a little bit of the heat, know, feeling it in the back of the throat and down the throat. But it's that good heat. Yeah. It's the good hug. Now I got some stuff my cousin made that'll punch you in the chest. I can't myself. Yeah, ⁓ no, that's true. And you do get that, that bready on the tongue. Yeah. Yeah. So, so my takeaway of this is don't be afraid of Jack Daniel's. Look for it. These, these single barrel labels, the heritage labels, they're great expressions of, of what, what you could do with them with American whiskey. Yeah. Oh yeah. And I do have a Jack Daniel's lineup that I'm looking forward to doing. I have a buddy coming down from Ashtabula. that the college buddy talking about Jack Daniels that makes you throw up. I gonna say most people from Ashtabula are coming from the penitentiary, so I'm glad he's a college buddy. Yeah. But yeah, been waiting on that So we'll do that. All So, you want to go big time? Do you want to go small time? You pick, you're guest. So let's change it up a little bit. This old Forrest is a great bottle, but while you got your taste buds, let's go to the Mason Dixon line. Okay. So this is that bottle out of Gettysburg. Let me take a little bit of water here to clear my palate. No, we're from our sponsor. we have any sponsors yet? Can we get some sponsors? I'm What if we just say someone's a sponsor and then guilt them into being a sponsor? You're right. So so so Mason Dixon distiller out of out of Gettysburg great feel husband wife run it very passionate engaged with with with folks We were there like on a Tuesday afternoon had a great burger Some I think just a great meal, but then when we about the bourbon They sourced a lot of their stuff from Jefferson's to start and the ryes some of the first barrels who came through their own juice. this rye 115 proof. and super interesting finish, which is why I had to have this bottle before I left town. And my wife is so cool about it because I have way too many bottles, but she's like, if you have to have it, go ahead because I'm going to buy a sewing machine. think I'm joking. Mmm. This one's going to surprise you. Wow. So. It almost has like a oil type finish. you get. So the mouth feel, it really your mouth. I mean, if you look at the legs on this, it's got tremendous legs the way it drips down. So to me, viscosity is a big thing. ⁓ There are products I don't care for from distilleries because they're too thin. ⁓ They don't that chew. It's like I'm drinking water. This definitely has some legs. The sweetness just coats your tongue. Very pleasant, ⁓ nice finish. Not super long, but just long enough where you enjoy it you want to go back for another one. So you know when you're cleaning a gun and you get that old hops number nine type, you smell it, you kind of get that taste in your mouth. ⁓ I just got a tinge of that, which reminded me, but then it turned into this really nice dark, sugar, ⁓ brown sugar to it. So to me, definitely a smoky sweet taste. I don't know if I've just burned out my taste buds, but everything's always a little carmely to me, which keeps me coming back for more. 115 proof, not super old, just under seven years. ⁓ you would think something like that would be a lot more stringent. This is very pleasant, very easy to drink. I'm sure it make a fantastic cocktail, but you ⁓ not drink it neat. you know that's nice. So when are we going to Gettysburg? Right. We should do a remote. think so. He love to host us and tell us all about it. And then someone would ask the poorest in the car. I think I'm to the point now, it's like, all right, if I'm planning something like that, staying overnight. Amen. ⁓ did Tom's Foolery ⁓ distillery in Burton, Ohio. I'm waiting get podcast put together. Steph was there taking for us and that was fantastic. It was. Well, how much of this is really about the experience, right? and I get to ⁓ this time together. You to a place, you have a good meal, you have a good experience. We're all a memory. And sometimes that memory comes with a taste in a bottle. And it's ⁓ bonus when can do it with friends, when you can have a great meal, when you can ⁓ see something, experience So it helps those memories. And I keep looking at the legs on this, this thing's I can't wait ⁓ try some of their product at seven nine plus. Yeah. If it's this good, it's, you know, six and change. It's going to be remarkable, you know, as it it matures. Now, have you had the the Washington, the George stuff that's out I have not. Mount Vernon the Mount Vernon I have not now that's that's a great a great a great thing to bring up you know rye whiskey originated in Pennsylvania and Maryland because they needed something to do other than make rye bread the yeast made some great alcohol and One of the earliest purveyors of rye whiskey was George Washington we don't know who originated it. There's no uncle nearest. There's nobody that we can attribute as a distiller for a mash bill, but we know that George Washington made a lot of money on rye whiskey. We should have saved that for the 4th of July. Possibly. I mean, that would be a good episode. then we would have to argue which rock band does the best Star Spangled Banner. You see I'm multi-dimensional. Right. Right. And it's Boston. and this is the answer. So, mean, you can't... Boston was as talented as it comes. You just can't. Couple nerds at MIT. I mean, how do you beat them? No. ⁓ So funny I had a lot of my parents' old records growing up. But Boston, I had Boston, Blood Sweat Tears, and Chicago. And I would play those records constantly. So I grew up in an era when they shifted from vinyl to CDs. And the first CD I bought was Boston, Boston. Because from More Than a Feelin' to... Yeah. It's one of those albums you can Man I'll Never Be. Yeah, I remember. So there's more than a feeling a man I'll never be trying to remember what was number three on the first side. The other moral story is there's a lot of independent stillers that have a lot of good stuff going on. You know, get, know, there, there, there's enough in that hopper where they're getting to that five, six, seven year mark where stuff is really, yeah, the flavors coming out. Well, I think you see that now in the market. There's a lot of, most of distillers are having to on barrels a little bit longer. ⁓ So the older stuff is coming. Experimental stuff is coming out. Well, if you want to experimental stuff, the gimmick is the finishing, right? And not going to probably touch this one tonight, but ⁓ this Envy is finished in the rum casks. So it's almost you're drinking pancake syrup at 100 proof. Right. But we'll save that for the breakfast episode. Well, you have to have breakfast. So do do handies? 124.9. Where do we want to go to the 95.6 proof? So the interesting thing is if we do do the handy we can do the comparison with the Sazerac barrel proof. So we have that to discuss. Maybe before we go much deeper we try the 94, Van Winkle. Yeah. I'm gonna a sip of water. While we still have our taste buds. i mean i'm not rooting for the browns generating so i still have my taste buds maybe you're not drinking enough You're not a Browns fan, you? Die hard. Man. I'll still drink your booze. Cheers. Is Aaron Rodgers coming back for you guys this year? You know, the... I can't wait. They let him out of the home. I hope he is. They let him out of the home. Miles Garrett. Miles Garrett is going to just run him over and then he's going to pound the ground and blame it on someone else. Right. this this is Probably one of the most elite ryes you could ever try. So thank you for sharing it with me You Pappy van The the whole van Winkle line is is that Is the wheated mash and then the rye mash bill from ⁓ currently a Buffalo Trace know, what was the movie with Owen Wilson and where they, you know, get the Pappy. But while everybody looks at the Pappy, you know, the 15 and the 23, the Rye is really the unsung hero. That is such a ⁓ Yeah. So while the other Ryes have the popcorn and the Carmelite nose, this definitely shows the maturity of what? 13 years. With a lower proof, it's not astringent at all. mean, you really wouldn't tell this is alcohol. The viscosity is ridiculous. If you could see the legs on this, it looks like the glass has been frosted on the inside. Right. So it's going to just coat your tongue like butter. Cheers. Thank you. imagine if you had that peppery taste and kind of like it mixed it with butter. Yeah. ⁓ And got like that buttery peppery taste on your tongue and It just dissipates you're like, where's the next one? Yeah. have to adjust a little bit of that sweetness, that caramel sweetness. It's like you just had a caramel candy, but then it just... Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. No. I that's why everybody chases it. That's why stole it. ⁓ And the I smell that nose, the more I'm like, wow. Very nice. And then the finish is at 90, 94 proof is still sustained. It's a fantastic finish. It just lingers on the tongue. I think that goes to the viscosity where it really has coated your taste buds. legs are great. Mmm. keeper. I think you should keep this one. idea. If you didn't want it, I would take it home. I appreciate that. Yeah, just you know. Oh, that's good. Hmm. Can we really go on from here? It's gonna be hard to top that one. is. We should probably try for the viewers. Well, know, sacrifice is too small. There's ⁓ no sacrifice small. Alright, let's go drink water first. what are we gonna try next? Well. I don't want to dismiss the old forester. It's a fantastic, fantastic poor, but anybody that has tried bourbon, knows bourbon, entered a bourbon lottery has Thomas Handy. And lot of people have probably passed it up because it's a rye. ⁓ I know if I even want to win a rye. And that's okay because there's more of it for me then. Right. And the only real difference between this and the Sazerac of the BTAC is that this isn't aged versus the Sazerac is. So the Sazerac does have the age statement on it. It's I think 18 years currently in this expression. These, there's no age statement, but it's ⁓ blend of probably six to nine year whiskies. So Steph actually got me this bottle for Father's Day. You're, ⁓ What a great wife. Yeah. am lucky. I mean it's funny how that experience goes like at first they're all in standing in line then they want to go to all the tours they'll buy you a bottle at point You know? Cheers. Thank you. Just be glad they let you have it in the house. Yeah. No, she. Oh, she's been so supportive of this. A similar nose to the Van Winkle. Very similar and great legs, but not the super legs of the Van Winkle. Right. I wouldn't do it, but you know at dairy cleaning when they turn the blizzard upside down and they want to show you that it stays in there. Yeah. When you do the Van Winkle, the legs start at the top and they just creep down like at a glacier pace. Yeah. You know, this one. You get the spice before the sweet for me. you get that peppery right on the front of the tongue. Wow. I would say it's almost a little sweeter than the Van Winkle. would agree. ⁓ me, it's sweeter. It's got that caramely finish to me. ⁓ has their own taste buds. But your taste are anesthetized by the proof of the alcohol. So then you can really start experiencing the flavors. And it starts in the front of your tongue. So that's where the phrase the tip of your tongue comes from. ⁓ Because that's where you first experience any taste and then the chew and the finish is that caramely sweet finish. Definitely get more of the bite too. Of course, this is 129 proof versus the 95. But this isn't the 129 proof where you're pounding your chest and blowing smoke like an old cartoon. This is 129 proof that sneaks up on you. And you Yeah. that's why it's in the lottery. Yep. Yeah, we lucked out finding that. Yeah. unfortunately, you know, somebody else may pick another bottle and instead of this, but it's it's definitely experience. Yeah. And look at those legs. Look that. incredible. Yeah. Yeah. And that's it's just coating your tongue and that that buttery velvet feel. think that's one of my favorite. Anything that's buttery. Mm hmm. And it's lights out. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ the reason you you know, we keep coming back. So one of the most buttery ones I've ever had is Yeah, that one. one. Wow. I mean, ⁓ ⁓ Fantastic. The Rattle 1 Snap, the eight year Rattle 1 Snap. It's the limited edition one. Absolute butter. know, if ask 20 people if they've ever heard of Rattle 1 Snap. No. ⁓ They haven't. But are the little gems when you go to the distilleries and go to the restaurants and ⁓ you go for an experience, get to find. ⁓ And then you ⁓ out that it's from a family that's been making bourbon for 200 years. they're like, ⁓ OK, now that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. So like I said, when we started this, we're just we're always chasing that experience that from these bottles. Yeah. Well, that's good. And maybe it's because we've had a few, but I'm not getting as much as the pepper as what I initially remember when I first tried that. We have acclimated our taste buds. We probably could have had ⁓ some different to ⁓ cleanse our but the handy It's never been overpowering and it's never been astringent. Yeah. And it is batch dependent. So where, you know, it, it might've been peppery. You've, don't know the last time you went to this bottle, but it's, it's been open. It's breathed. Right. So, ultimate takeaway is some fantastic bottle. You'd be lucky to have a pour and got that pepper on the front, the buttery coating on your tongue. and that fantastic caramel finish. And it's 129 proof that sneaks up on you. And I would smack you if you made this into a cocktail. Right. Right. So. Yeah. A little bit of the... As you breathe past your tongue you get a little bit of that tingle. There a tingle, but again it's warm hug. It's not the hug. I don't I could fryer in a circus after drinking this. Well, I haven't really tried it. Maybe we'll do that next time. Right. have a lighter somewhere. I tried lighting farts and that didn't go well. I have an uncle that did that and actually lit his ass on fire. Everybody I know that tried it, that's what's happened. Yeah. But that's because the person with the lighter wanted to burn them. Right. Right. So don't do that at home. Yeah. Public service announcement. So last man standing, Forester. Yeah, I think we have to. We need to respect the name. Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown and Dr. Forester. And it was with two Rs. then when... ⁓ really? I didn't know that. It was Dr. Forester because it was for medicinal purposes at two Rs. And then when Dr. Forester passed away, they said that they would change it. and they went to the 1R. I think it's just so didn't have to pay someone royalties. ⁓ are some early, early 2Rs, ⁓ the we know and love today is 1R. Let's grab two Buffalo Trace glasses. They were on when I was down there. Well, it's all about merch you're down there, right? Yeah. So we went down for my birthday. We came back with 28 bottles. my name is Dan and I have a problem. And the problem isn't drinking, it's buying. But we did find things that, ⁓ was Derby week. So had a lot of stuff out at MSRP. And you're all right, ⁓ I'm not see this again. I mean, 12 will it's. And that's a pro If you do go down to Kentucky and there's an event, If there's a holiday, if there's an event, all the distilleries try to do something special. There's always the big Bourbon and Beyond in September, but whether it's Bonded Day or whether it's William T. Stagg's birthday, will do something special on those. They're not really Hallmark holidays, but if you're a Bourbon guy, they should be a Hallmark card for it. Right. Well, it was my birthday. ⁓ happy birthday. So. I love the old Forrester flavor. I do. get the rye out of that and it's really good. but I love the Old Forrest especially the single barrels, the barrel strings. just think they put out ⁓ much flavor. I the Choice, I thought that was really good. The Birthday Bourbon this past year wasn't so impressed with, but really good. So we know that most these are batch dependent. You know, there's know, this year was really great this year was good, but could have been better You there's the the mythology of what floor did the birthday bourbon come from You know, whether is it ⁓ h, k, you know? And old does the accelerated aging, you know where they have the heated? They do have the heated brick houses and You know If you had to just pick one distiller for the rest of your life, if someone you to drink Old Forrester, it wouldn't be a bad deal. They do a very consistent job at a very high level. And this rye, the consistencies of the other ryes, some pepper, some sweetness, But ultimately, I think this is a 130.8. Does not drink at 130.8? No. Not at all. Peppery on the front, we get that at a lot of ⁓ these bourbons. To ⁓ that that on the nose, I don't wanna cloud your thinking cloud your opinion, but you get the caramel on the nose, the pepper up front. We can't do the legs as well in these damn Buffalo Trace glasses. No. good legs for this glass and good ⁓ a good to it. Yeah. bit of a bite at the end. But the bite you want. If I didn't have this bite, I'd kind of wonder what I was drinking. And if you think the old Forrester profile, whether it's 1910, 1920, some of the 117 lines, very distinct, but remarkable. Yeah. Again, if I was condemned to only drink Old Forest for the rest of my life, it wouldn't be a bad sentence. And I do have a couple of the 117s we need to open at some point, too. I have a few we can do as well. Perfect. Including a rye. Oh, see, I don't have that. Yeah, it just came out a couple of weeks ago. Is that what I got? What did I get? got ⁓ Prohibition Era Still Proof, the Extra Extra Old, and then I do the Extra Old. ⁓ So have the Prohibition, I have the High Angel Share, and I've the High Angel Share ⁓ okay. And anything an angel gives gotta be good. Gotta be good. Ugh. No. fantastic pour. ⁓ yeah. Any of these. would be a decision. You know, the Van Winkle, the Handy would be a treat. a They're an elite experience. Finding something, whether it's the Mason Dixon ⁓ or the Snap, that's why you chase this stuff. That's why you ⁓ go the mile ⁓ and go that road and check out that distillery. And at the same time, you've got things on the shelf like the old Forrester the Daniels that are just amazing in their consistency, ⁓ amazing their quality. I would any one of these home and marry them. I don't know. I'm kind of taken. I would say, yeah, these all fantastic. I think. For me, the pepper is not what I'm used to. know, but I that, I mean, they're all great. Now the about the bourbon is every bourbon has that different profile. Right. And there's a consistency amongst the rye with the peppery, the caramel, the sweetness. But that's why we do it, Right. You know. And has really So I just did a podcast with Wally Dant and we're talking about blending. I think that. They've started to address like for people that are in the middle of the road want to try the rye, but they don't ⁓ like the pepper. They want something in between And ⁓ don't think I really understood the blending until I had one of his bourbons first and ⁓ okay. Now I get it because they're rice and and Doing some really fantastic things And for those that are traditionalists, like, I just want it from the same barrel. I want it from thing. It's a little different, but. The products that's coming out just fantastic. But I ⁓ think that all of these are. and i do think we should go visit Gettysburg as well i'll get you on the phone or facebook and i'm you're going to have us you're a for both for Sure. Let's drink an extended amount of water. Right. do a bonus pour. camera, pulling glasses. Are these, where'd you steal these glasses from? I don't even recognize that logo. Oh, it's Covington, Kentucky. that one is. the Chamber of Commerce give you these just for entering the city? No, that one is. There is a smokehouse, a barbecue place. Smoke justice. Smoke justice. So nothing is better with booze than smoked meat. Exactly. This is from Untitled Supper Club in Chicago. Okay, very good. So the bonus pour, Sazerac wine, Sazerac rye, foolproof, and this is the 125 proof. So this just came out in the past months. Yeah. ⁓ Under 35 bucks. And I have one. I just haven't opened it yet. Yeah. So you're missing out on opening it. But ⁓ I don't mean to to the blow the the finish. Well, but you know, I don't want to ruin the ending. But let's let's try it. Go light. Go light. Yeah. You're not anymore. No, but. I if the drop tomorrow morning at Doral. It's a pleasant, it's a pleasant finish. It's got a pleasant mouth feel. A little bit more pepper on the mid tongue to the back, think I like the aftertaste and finish better than... great great mouth feel, and really difference between this and the Handy was the Master Distiller's taste buds that day. What he had breakfast determined whether one is the other. Yeah. So these are all same Mashbill. And ⁓ at some point Master decided that One barrel was better than another to put that up higher or lower in the Rick house to make it handy. The other ones. And it has the same nose as the Van Winkle and the Handy. Because it's the same mashbill. Yeah. Yeah. Very floral. To me, it's floral. Now for the price point, know, let your significant other make a cocktail every day of the week. But it can be. It's a pleasant drink neat. It's kind of reminds me of that bone snapper that you tried. We'll have to do that after this is over. we talked about the legs on the other ones, but look at the legs on that. Anytime have legs reach halfway up the glass, you know the viscosity is gonna coat your tongue. So did order a second camera. Okay. So they've been getting my profile the whole night. I'm Alfred Hitchcock over here. Right. But so can do like a B-roll and show ⁓ the glasses close and see the, Very good. Don't have it yet, but. Hopefully next time. Yeah, learning. I'm learning. ⁓ And, and, and. that's that's what this is all about right we start talking with the experience the journey whether you do a podcast whether you share with friends it's it's neat to see that light bulb go off when someone tries something the first time and we've got the neighbors you know in invested in bourbon now they want to know what's going on they do appreciate it you know they've gotten bring in the bottle of ⁓ jim beamer is something pedestrian. So fun getting ⁓ input on the flavors and the taste and the experiments. Thanks having me. Thanks for coming. Appreciate it. Great evening. So next we'll do the wheaters Because I have some wheaters, some killer wheaters that. I've got some wheaters as well. All right. Well, hey, thanks for watching. Appreciate it. Please like, subscribe, follow, you can leave us a review. Go to our website, bourbonbrassandbeyond.com, ⁓ and appreciate it. Have a great night. Thanks again. Thank you.