Rossville Union Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey landed on my desk at 50% ABV; mashbill: 51%rye, 49% malted barley; bott. Here is what I found.
Nose
Evenly spaced and slow legs, mostly translucent, amber with gold highlights
Palate
Banana, banana, banana! After a few minutes some of the freshly peeled banana blows off and lets other notes through. Savory green pea leads into a heady sweetness with lots of vanilla bean, and some oakiness makes a show mid-way through. To go for the obvious, this is where rye meets scotch. It’s a little hard to describe, as each sip tastes a bit different than the one before. Both grains in this expression are presented well and neither shys to the other. I’ve never had anything like it, and it tastes really, really good, though I don’t think it’s for everyone. This is absolutely a bottle for the whiskey nerds.
Finish
A bit of rye roughness almost immediately mellows into almost un-ripe green apple, which sticks around. Slightly thin in texture. Virtually no sweetness, but more fruit flavors come up over time, grounded by a dark rye graininess, without grassiness. Fruit becomes flower as some musk makes an appearance as well. Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
The Bottom Line
Rossville Union Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey is outstanding — one of those bottles that reminds you why you fell in love with whiskey in the first place. If you see it, do not hesitate. This one earns a permanent spot on the shelf.
