The Details
RY3 Whiskey Cigar Series
Rye Whiskey
Triple Cask Finish - French Oak Staves
Madeira, Rum and Naranja Casks
Cask Strength
Batch: PR#006 / Bottle 145
Handcrafted, Blended and Bottled by
Phenomenal Spirits - Virginia Beach, Virginia
60.6 ABV / 121.2 Proof
Mashbill: Not Specified - Blended
Price: $125
Poured Neat in a Stölzle Nosing Glass
Appearance: Chestnut
Nose: Apricot, Caramel, Honey, Oak, Orange Peel
Palate: Oranges and Cream, Candied Caramel, Molasses, Plum, Vanilla
Finish: Long, Spiced and Viscous
Overall: What's the first thing you think of when you see "Cigar Batch", "Cigar Cut" or "Cigar Series"? Many tend to think these titles describe the taste of the whiskey. Actually, these are meant to describe the fact a cigar would compliment the particular expression. Sure, some notes may be tobacco, earthy and leather heavy, but by no means is that what describes a lot of the Cigar Blends I've encountered, and personally blended. A lot of blends and batches include a lot of the same finishes as they tend to work so well complimenting the tobacco. This RY3 Cigar Series jumps in on the other side of the pool. Madeira, Rum and Naranja Casks (AKA Barrels) make up this incredible blend. Let's break these down for a moment:
Madeira: A fortified wine made on the Portuguese Madeira Islands, just off the coast of Africa. Produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines, as an apértiff and cheaper cooking wines generally flavored with salt and pepper but not used for consumption as a beverage.
Rum: A liquor made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear spirit, is often aged in oak barrels.
Naranja: Meaning Orange in Spanish. Orange Wine is produced in Huelva and Málaga in Andalucia, Spain with white wine macerated with orange peel.
Let all that sink in. Now, combine Rye Whiskey along with all these unique casks. The result? A damn fine pour from sip to sip. The flavors seem to dance around the palate and the finish leaves your mouth well coated. Let me tell you, this is the perfect recipe for a cigar. With Master Blender, Matt Witzig knowing a thing or two about Cigar Batches from his days as the Master Blender at Joseph Magnus, the blend created here is another to celebrate and seek numerous bottles. My recommendation is to pair Cigar Series with a Light-Medium to Medium Cigar based on the profile and the proof. Being a person who enjoys a great challenge, I've already done both. The AVO Heritage and the Montecristo White Series were beautiful compliments to each pour. I did have a Full-Bodied Cigar as well, but I felt the boldness of the cigar took away the sweetness of the pour. Still delicious, but a tad flat.
There just may be a few more bottles available at retail and on the RY3 website. Click HERE for more info.
Karthik & Matt, thank you kindly for getting this bottle to me to try. You guys are Phenomenal! As always, my reviews are always unbiased and couldn't be any more genuine.
Library Rating: 8.3 / 10