KIAMICHI RYE WHISKEY
Whiskey Spectre’s house has this cool carpet that just seemed to be the right place for this picture. Pretty convenient that it was his bottle.
Ok, let’s start with it. Celebrity brand? Check. Willett rye inside it? Check. $150 price point for 5-year old rye? CHECK. Did I purchase one with my own scratch? CHECK. Is it any good? Here’s where I take a deep breath and let it rip…..It’s Willett. They practically have the midas touch when it comes to whiskey, they’re magicians, sorcerers, witches, conjurers, necromancers, and wizards after all. It’s difficult to tally their misses when it comes to liquid in bottles, they have so many hits. Speaking of hits…. nope, sorry, we aren’t going to do the musical tie in here. NO. That’s absurd, and lazy writing and we aren’t stooping that low. I love that it comes in at 108 proof, (which should startle the high proof snobs), because Willett tends to play very well at 110 or below….
I’m not a big Kings of Leon fan, but their label is beautiful.
The whiskey inside is delicious, the grape juice like funk or yeast note is muted, but present, and the rye inside is a cigar lovers dream. It’s tobacco, dry, very heavy on the oak (no way this is just 5 years old….) and it’s rich and layered. It’s not heavily tannic, but it does suck the moisture out of your mouth, leaving you to practically pant after swallowing. This is a chewable glass of whiskey, so dry it made me imagine for a moment what it must be like to have a cats mouth (scaled dry tongue). I know this all sounds so weird, but it’s a very cool experience. I cannot wait to light a cigar and pair up with it. Perhaps some duck fat nachos before to coat the tongue a bit with some delicious fats might be in order? I’m digressing here (still not stooping though), and am left with the thought that I could spend some hours dissecting the different notes being played by this NOPE ALMOST STOOPED.
This rye whiskey was music to my ears…… there you have it folks, the stoop.
This isn’t the typical celebrity brand me too money grab release. While I have no idea on what the future of this brand may look like, I can say that they kicked off well, and it’s worth the price if you love Willett like I do. I have a sad feeling that this is one of those releases that will only appreciate monetarily in time, and I’m proud to do my part by helping consume them thus reducing the future flippable stocks, meaning someone will pay more in the future. You’re welcome someone.
After thinking about this all night, and waiting for my order to arrive in the mail, I ordered another. That should tell you something, not sure what it tells you, but it is something.
- Mickey Pinstripe