15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye Review – A Complex Blend of Fine Aged Rye Whiskeys

15 STARS
Founder’s Reserve
Fine Aged Rye
A Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys
95 proof
Batch 001
SRP: $139
Review

Please enjoy our 15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye Review!

According to the bottle label “In 1795, Kentucky was recognized as the I5th state on the historic 15 star flag, also known as the star spangled banner flag. This marriage of fine aged rye whiskeys honors the long legacy of distilling excellence in Kentucky and America’s first territories.”

15 Stars Brand Background

15 STARS was founded by father and son duo Rick and Ricky Johnson, who are currently distilling and aging their own whiskeys in Bardstown, Kentucky. Some of these whiskeys use heirloom corns — including black, red, white, and blue varieties — grown for the family’s gourmet popcorn business, Black Jewell Popcorn. While their own bourbon continues to mature, Rick and Ricky have been sourcing, aging, finishing, and blending fine aged whiskeys for their limited releases. I’ve had the chance to try nearly all of them — and I’ve become quite a fan!

A Blend of Fine Aged Rye Whiskeys

15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Fine Aged Rye is a blend of four straight rye whiskeys aged 14, 13, 9, and 8 years, distilled in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. This blend is 15 STARS highest aged rye whiskey to date.

Tasting Notes – 15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Tart grapefruits and limes, mild light honey, sweet floral note, mild rye spices, dry oak and cedar; touch of a confectionary caramel; hints of dark stone fruits; alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof
👉🏻Taste: Grapefruit, rye spices, pale caramel, honey, dry oak
👉🏻Finish: Moderate white pepper spice, fairly dry, dry spicy wood; long; lingering grapefruit and white pepper; deep warmth

The nose of 15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye Review begins with tart grapefruits and limes, along with a sweetness from light honey and a floral note, the exact nature of which, for me, is always difficult to pin down. The rye spices are fairly mild. Later on after a few sniffs and sips, I notice a subtle caramel like confectionary note in the background. Dark stone fruits, maybe plums or cherries, come and go. Mild spicy dry oak and cedar grows with time, as well. In fact, after the bottle has been open for over a week, and after progressive sips, the wood notes have become more noticeable. The alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof.

The taste has similar flavors, with well balanced grapefruit citrus and rye spices, mainly cloves, on a background of caramel and honey. In addition some dry oak and cedar become more evident with time. The finish is long, with growing white pepper spice that lingers in the middle of my tongue. The mouthfeel becomes quite dry, with lingering citrus, cloves, and bit of dry spicy oak, along with pleasant warmth, at the end. As with the nose, the oak in the palate and finish has become more noticeable since I first opened the bottle.

A Layered and Complex Mature Rye

There is quite a bit of complexity to 15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye, which would be expected given the ages of the “Fine Aged” ryes which make up the blend. It also has many layers of flavors, particularly in the nose, which evolve over the course of the glass, as well over time once the bottle is opened. While this is unmistakably a rye, due to its maturity, the citrus and rye spices have mellowed a bit. Likewise subtle background confectionary notes and dark stone fruits, which are not at all characteristic of younger ryes, have had a chance to develop.

In addition, the barrel notes of spicy dry oak and cedar also divulge the whiskey’s age, which starts to take on a bit of a “dusty” note, particularly in the finish. I don’t usually read the brand’s tasting notes until I have drawn my own conclusions. However, I believe that what I am calling a “dusty” note probably equates to what they refer to as “old cigar box” and “tobacco”. Regardless, it all adds up to a very enjoyable and thought provoking pour.

Summary

15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye has the complexity that I have come to expect from the brand. It has both the somewhat subdued rye spices and citrus characteristic of a mature rye, combined with mature barrel flavors, including some of which are a bit atypical. It all adds up to a pour that invites you to slow down and ponder each sip. The layers of flavor evolve not only over the course of the pour but also as the bottle opens up over time. If you enjoy rye’s classic traits but prefer them to feel more refined and well-aged, then you’ll want to give 15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye a try. Cheers! 🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our 15 STARS Founder’s Reserve Rye Review! If you would like to read more about some other whiskeys from this brand, check out our 15 STARS Three Ports Bourbon Review our 15 STARS Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon Review and our 15 STARS First West Toasted Oak Finish Bourbon Review!

NOTE: This bottle was graciously provided by the Brand for my review. I appreciate it!

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