Rich & Rare Reserve Review


Country: Canada
Brand: Rich and Rare (R&R) Reserve
Bottled by Sazerac Co. at the Frankfort, Kentucky facility
Type: Blended Whisky
Age: NAS (Minimum 3 years)
Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Light Amber/Orange

Nose: Nothing to get excited about. Harsh Oak and Sharp Alcohol, Syrup, Rye and other Grains, Varnish. Bit of Caramel, Buttered Toast and a hint of Citrus. There’s a Fruity tone in the back of the glass but I can’t pin it down exactly because of the Alcohol. Plums maybe. When I nosed the empty glass, I got the light but not unpleasant combination of Grain and Oak.

Taste: Watery delivery. Sweet Syrup, slightly bitter Oak and spicy Rye. Alcohol Burn. White Pepper. Very faint hints of Orange and Cinnamon.

Finish: Quite hot and dry with some Rye, bitter Oak and Caramel.

I added a couple of drops of water but won’t do that again. On the Nose you get a bit more Grain but the whisky starts tasting like simple vodka.

Rating: 70
  
Nose: 18.5 – Taste: 17 – Finish: 17 – Overall: 17.5


General Remarks: R&R Reserve is a blend of Reserve Barrel whiskies from Sazerac’s stocks of over 200.000 barrels of Canadian whisky. Sazerac is a very old privately owned company from New Orleans and is (apparently successfully) re-introducing Canadian whiskies to the US Market. It’s a very cheap blend at around US$ 14, - a bottle.

Drinking Experience Neat: Not quite my cup of Whisky!

Conclusion: You can’t expect miracles for US$ 14, - a bottle and you don’t get them with the Rich & Rare Reserve. The Nose is acceptable but taste wise I get no pleasure from this Blend. I suppose you could mix it with something but I would rather spend a few bucks more and get me a Standard Bourbon or Whiskey.

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 27, 2012


14 comments:

Eric Routenberg said...

Jan? Why didn't you ask me before posting too my blog? You can continue but please send a case of mixed blended/canadian whiskey to office here:
Green Drinks Mason
5405 Heather Circle
Mason, OH 45040
Thank You & continues success! I figure you send out today, August 28 it should arrive by Tues/Weds next week.

Jan van den Ende said...

Hi Eric, There must be some misunderstanding here. I did not post anything to your blog! I have nothing to do with Canadian whisky. I'm a dutch whisky fan who lives in Brazil for almost 20 years. My hobby is tasting whisky and write about it on my blog. On Monday I posted my Tasting Notes of the Canadian Rich and Rare Reserve Blend. How that got to your blog I have no idea about. I would not dream of putting my stuff on somebody else's blog. Nor would I ask for it. Maybe you can inform Google Blogspot so they can sort it out. I'm really sorry for any inconvenience caused but please accept that I have nothing to do with this.
Cheers and Kind Regards
Jan

FashionStorm said...

Oi Jan!! TUdo bom?? Eu sou a Vivian, amiga do Juliano... (a que tem um blog de moda)...
O Juliano comentou sobre o seu blog!! Mto show!! Parabens!!!!

Qq coisa me manda um e-mail para trocarmos umas figurinhas de blog!!

Bjs,
Vivian - FashionStorm
(wwww.fashionstorm.com.br)

Jan van den Ende said...

Ola Vivian, Muito Obrigado! Vou te mandar um e-mail sim.
Beijo
Jan

Anonymous said...

This is a big seller in the Alaska bush- because alcohol is illegal there and this comes in plastic bottles. Easier to hide and ship into the villages.

Jan van den Ende said...

I don't want to live in the Alaska Bush then! (LOL) .I think you should suggest to put something else in the plastic bottles! Good Luck!!!
Cheers
Jan

Unknown said...

I like R&R Private Reserve. I am a whisky snob and have had the best from the worst.

If you are a Kentucky Bourbon fan this isn't for you. If you like a whisky glass with 3 cubes this is a great sipping whisky over a few hours, very smooth but don't do shots.

Jan van den Ende said...

Thanks for commenting Theo. Rich & Rare is certainly destined to be enjoyed in a mix or over lots of ice. And then...Cheers, Jan

K Rogers said...

RRR is a nice flavor forward Canadian whisky with a light spicy finish. Not bad neat but an excellent mixer, especially with cola or ginger ale. Produced by Sazerac in Montreal, CA, same distillery that makes Canadian Hunter. Only available in the USA.

Jan van den Ende said...

Hi K Rogers, thanks for commenting! I can indeed imagine it as a mixer but neat it's too bland for me to enjoy. And I must admit I'm not a big fan of mixed drinks and cocktails. But that's just me of course. Cheers, Jan.🥃

Unknown said...

I find this whiskey very smooth, nicely paired with cola, and a strong buzz

Jan van den Ende said...

Hi, thanks for commenting! Please leave your (first) name next time to make it more personal.I can indeed imagine it as a mixer but neat it's too bland for me to enjoy. Cheers, Jan.🥃

Anonymous said...

Yeah this is Rick and I think it's absolutely wonderful whiskey just makes a little bit up and sip on it all day long hats off to the Brewer

Jan van den Ende said...

Hi Rick, glad you like it. It's certainly a drinking whisky and it's very cheap. It's just not my thing. JW Black is my Blend when I want to drink.Cheers, Jan.🥃