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General Remarks: Templeton Rye Whiskey was originally made in Templeton, Iowa during the Prohibition.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

Hankey Bannister Review

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Hankey Bannister Original

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS (My guess: 3-5 Years)

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Dark Amber 

Nose: The familiar young Grain Alcohol welcomes us right from the start accompanied by Green Wood, light Malt, Brown Sugar, Grapefruit, Nuts and Sultanas, Orange Peel, Alcohol, some Wood Spice, a touch of Sherry and a hint of Pineapple (Juice). The Aroma is Slightly Bitter. I suspect the presence of some Sulphur as well. 

Palate: Sweet at first with Toffee/Caramel, light Vanilla and Honey but more Bitter towards the end with Cereals, Wood Spice and Oak. Quite simple but better than expected.

Finish: Short and Sugary Sweet with Caramel, Cinnamon, light Vanilla, Cereals and light Pepper.

With a bit of Water, the Nose becomes very light but, and that's a surprise, shows some Fruity tones. Palate and Finish become Bitter-Sweet with Grains, Sugar, Oak and Wood Spice fighting for the lead. My advise is to drink this Hankey Bannister on the Rocks! 

Rating: 75

Nose: 18.5 - Taste: 19.5  - Finish: 18 - Overall: 19

General Remarks: This Blended Scotch Whisky is distilled, blended and bottled for Hankey Bannister & Co. Rumour has it that the company was founded in London in 1757 by Beaumont Hankey and Hugh Bannister. I take it they were wine merchants at first as Blended Whisky was not sold until around 1860. Among their famous clients supposedly were the Prince Regent William IV, George V, the Duke of Norfolk and, in the 20th century, Sir Winston Churchill. The Blend name is owned at the moment by Inver House Distillers. At the heart of the Blend are Single Malts (around 30%) from the Highlands/Speyside such as Balblair, Knockdhu, Balmenach, Pulteney and Speyburn  and Grain Whisky (around 70%), mostly from North British and Port Dundas. Next to the NAS original, the company offers the 12 Year old Regency, the 21 Year old Partners Reserve, the 25 Years and the 40 Years. The Original is not expensive at around 20 US Dollars or even less.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average/Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay

Conclusion: This is a cheap Blend but it's slightly better than many of its better known competitors such as Dewar's White Label, Vat 69, Bell's, Ballantine's Finest and Black & White just to name a few. Of course you can't expect the world for 20 US Dollars but it's a good alternative for JW Red as a party/mixing Whisky. I had it On The Rocks a few times and it's drinkable, especially when you pour a shot of Ardbeg or something similar. Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                          June 22, 2013