Templeton Rye Review

Country: USA

Brand: Templeton Rye

Type: Rye Whiskey (Small Batch)

Age: NAS (Said to be: 4-5 Years)

ABV: 40 %

Sample Provided By: Derek, USA. Thanks!  

Date: 24/06/2013

Colour: Amber/Light Orange

Nose: Nice, Sweet and slightly addictive! The Rye (Spice) is prominent and so are Pencil Shavings. Clear notes of Mint and Aniseed as well. I also get Caramel/Toffee/Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Maple Syrup, Butter, Honey, Cinnamon and some nice Grassy and Fruity tones that I can't quite pin down. Assorted Fruit-Flavoured Candies perhaps including Orange/Mandarin and Pear. The Alcohol is there but it does not bother me a lot. 

Palate: Rather Thin Delivery. This clearly deserves a higher ABV. I get  Dry Rye (Spice), Toffee/Caramel, Brown Sugar, Pepper, Honey, Mint, Oak, Orange Peel and hints of Red Fruits.

Finish: Dry and slightly Bitter with Rye-Bread, Oak, Spices (Cinnamon), Honey and Mint.

I added a bit of Water and the Nose gets even Sweeter with Caramel, Honey and Maple Syrup leading the way. The Orange becomes more clear in the Finish. There's room for experiment here as long as you don't overdo it. Personally I prefer the Templeton over a little Ice.

Rating: 84

Nose: 22 - Taste: 20.5  Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

General Remarks: Templeton Rye Whiskey was originally made in Templeton, Iowa during the Prohibition. In those days it was said to be Al Capone's favourite drink! The " New"  Templeton was introduced around 2006 and is said to be based on the original recipe. It is produced and aged by Lawrenceburg Distillers (part of MGP Ingredients, Kansas) in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and then shipped by tanker truck to Iowa where it's bottled. Templeton Rye sells at around 35 US Dollars.

By law, Rye Whiskey must be distilled from at least 51% Rye. The other ingredients are usually Corn and Malted Barley. Templeton however uses  90-95% Rye and 5-10% Malted Barley. It is aged in Charred New Oak Barrels. The Sample I'm tasting today is from Batch # 5, Barrel # 400 and Bottle # 54. Batches usually consist of 15-20 Barrels.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I have mixed feelings about this Templeton. The Nose is quite nice and inviting. I smelled it for almost half an hour and I did not get bored at all. The delivery however is too thin in my opinion and the producers should seriously consider increasing the ABV. This is my first contact with Rye Whiskey so I have no idea how Templeton compares to its competitors. For the time being my conclusion would be that this is a good - but not overly complex Rye Whiskey, preferably enjoyed on the Rocks.

Jan van den Ende                                                                        June 2013