This simply bottled whiskey, purporting to be a “blend of straight rye whiskeys” would probably be easy to gloss over were it not for what comes next on the label: “selected and blended by Jim Rutledge.” Jim is the former distiller at Four Roses and is now making a name for himself again with a variety of limited edition and one-off releases
The J. W. Rutledge Distillery team worked on High Plains Rye for more than a year. This multi-state blend includes five straight rye whiskeys from four states – Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and New York (listed alphabetically). Each straight whiskey used in High Plains Rye has its own unique recipe—varying from 51% rye grain to 100% rye—and yeast strain. This generates a very distinct flavor profile and weighs in a 48.5% abv.
“A lot went into the selection of the whiskies that we use for this blend,” said Master Distiller Jim Rutledge. “I’ve wanted to do a rye for a long time, but I wanted it to be something unique. By combining these five different recipes, we created a really nice straight rye whiskey that is gentle on the palate with a nice, smooth finish.”
The whiskey’s nose is immediately youthful, ample barrel char melding well enough with some classic rye spice character — cardamom, dusky clove, pepper, and just a pinch of brown sugar. Light on the palate, the charred barrel notes are decidedly restrained — that’s a good thing — which lets more exotic elements through: Indian spices (almost curry-like at times), Earl Grey tea, and some dried fruit notes, all informed by a healthy grind of pepper. There’s a perfumed, almost incense-like quality to the whiskey, surprisingly delicate considering its constituent ingredients, though a toasty granary note — touched with butterscotch — comes back into focus on the back end.
