Middle West Spirits Dark Pumpernickel Rye - Review

Middle West Spirits

Dark Pumpernickel Rye

Straight Rye Whiskey

Batch 31

Aged 3+ Years

Distilled by Middle West Spirits, Columbus, OH

Mash Bill: Undisclosed percentages of Dark Pumpernickel Rye, Yellow Corn, Ohio Soft Red Winter Wheat and 2-Row Barley

96 Proof

Retail Price ~$45

Poured neat in a Glencairn

Appearance: Amber

Nose: Marbled rye bread, dark dried fruits and white pepper

Palate: Creamy caramel, milk chocolate, honeysuckle, white pepper

Finish: Warm, viscous medium linger with a slight spice.

Overall: I believe the combination of the Pumpernickel Rye and the Ohio Soft Red Winter Wheat creates this creamy, yet slightly spiced delight. There is a lot dancing on the front and the sides of my palate to which I had to pour a second ounce to try to pinpoint and confirm what I was tasting. I didn't expect a rye to be this creamy. I'm not mad at this at all. Something unique and delicious will always pique my interest and this was no exception.

I'd like to take a moment to thank the folks at Middle West Spirits for providing this sample to the Library. As always, all my reviews are honest, never biased or influenced.

Library Rating: 8.0 / 10

Middle West Spirits Straight Wheat Whiskey - Review

Middle West Spirits

Straight Wheat Whiskey

Batch 69

Aged 3+ Years

Distilled by Middle West Spirits, Columbus, OH

Mash Bill: 100% Ohio Soft Red Winter Wheat

92 Proof

Retail Price ~$45

Poured neat in a Glencairn

Appearance: Dark Gold

Nose: Flakey pastry. butter cream, vanilla bean and a hint of green apple

Palate: Vanilla custard, toasted sugar, whipped cream

Finish: Delightful warm, medium linger.

Overall: This was my first time trying anything from Middle West Spirits out of Columbus, Ohio, and I was quite impressed. The color on this Wheat Whiskey would make you think the age is around 5 to 7 years, but in fact, it's a 3+ year statement on the label. From my initial nosing, I could tell this was going to be something right up my alley. The flakey pastry and butter cream on the nose pushed way to a whipped cream, creamy creme brulee sweetness on the palate. I was happy with the warm medium linger on the finish as a lot of wheat whiskey tends to fall a bit flat for me. Not this one.

I'd like to take a moment to thank the folks at Middle West Spirits for providing this sample to the Library. As always, all my reviews are honest, never biased or influenced.

Library Rating: 8.2 / 10

Trade-Up Tuesday - Part 15

Since this has gotten a little crazy, I’ll start this segment with what I had in the inventory: 1792 SiB SP, 1792 FP SP, Yellowstone SP, Heaven Hill 7yr BiB, ‘06 Wild Turkey 101 8yr, Old Weller Antique 107, Henry McKenna 10yr BiB, EH Taylor Small Batch, Old Ezra 7yr and an Old Overholt 11yr Rye.

Looking at this list and just realizing it all came from a single bottle of JTS Brown, simply blows me away. So what happens now? Damn right, keep trying to trade…

This week brings a couple trades that kept the dream alive:

A) Old Weller Antique 107 & 1792 SiB SP for a Batch 14 Stagg Jr.

B) Heaven Hill 7yr BiB for Willett 4yr Rye

Only 3 weeks left until this is completed. Stay tuned next week for another great week of trading!

🥃📖🥃