Blue Run Golden Rye Review

Blue Run
Golden Rye
Fall 2021
95 Proof
Review

Please enjoy my Blue Run Golden Rye review.

Buy at Frootbat

By now I think most people have heard of Blue Run Spirits. This Blue Run Golden Rye is their first rye whiskey release, and I am sure expectations are running high given the many accolades received for their first 3 bourbon releases. The first bourbon release was a 13 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon released in late 2020. The second was the 13.5 year Single Barrel Bourbon and the most recent was the Summer Release, the 14 year old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

Blue Run Spirits may be new, but they cleaned up at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. They won best in class for both the 13.5 and 14 year old bourbons! Although with Jim Rutledge as their “Liquid Advisor”, selecting their sourced barrels and distilling their new make, it almost would have been surprising had they not won. I have really enjoyed what they have released so far, and I am a big rye whiskey fan myself, so I was very eager to try their new rye!

From the press release:

“Blue Run small-batch Straight Golden Rye Whiskey is Blue Run’s inaugural Rye expression. Named for both the distinct color of the choice grains that were used in the creation process and the resulting golden-hued whiskey, Blue Run Golden Rye Straight Whiskey was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.”

So, what’s it like? Let’s taste it!

Tasting Notes

🛌 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉Nose: Baking spices, rye bread, subtle licorice and spearmint; some brown sugar in the back; notes of sweet plums and pears; hint of cedar; moderate alcohol
👉Taste: Baking spices, rye bread, caramel, honey, but not overly sweet
👉Finish: Subtle fruit appears early – golden raisin maybe? Black pepper builds throughout the long finish, gets joined by rye seeds and a hint of caraway, and then fades to be replaced with light smoke that lingers with a dryness and amoderate burn.

Summary

There are a gamut of flavors in this rye, from start to finish. The lead off is the classic baking spices, which gains some black pepper as time goes on. While there is a brown sugar and honey sweetness, as well as some notes of fruit, it is overall fairly dry, especially in the finish. Although it’s a fairly spicy rye, I am enjoying the rye bread overtones as well. This is a very enjoyable rye and I’ll be looking to grab a bottle when it is released in September. It’s a 92 barrel batch, with retail availability in Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, Colorado, California and Canada as well as online at bluerunspirits.com/shop. Are you going to be grabbing a bottle, too? Cheers!🥃

I also love Blue Run’s bourbon releases! Check out my Blue Run 13.5 Year Single Barrel Bourbon Review and my Blue Run Bourbon Aged 13 Years Review!

Buy at Frootbat

Disclosure: This sample for my Blue Run Golden Rye review was provided to me by Blue Run Spirits (Thanks, Mike!), but that in no way influenced my review.

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