100% Rye
Rye Explorations
Peated Quarter Casks
Cask Strength
With a palate full of dark fruit and rye spice, Lot No. 40’s 100% Rye is bold and unmistakable. By exploring with unique and unexpected barrel finishes, Dr. Don Livermore has complimented this distinctive rye profile with an equally unmistakable finish – Peated Quarter Casks.
Rye Explored
What happens when you take an award winning, top selling 100% Rye Whisky and add peat? Dr. Don Livermore (cdnwhiskydoc) has found out with the Lot No. 40 Rye Explorations, Release No. 1, Peated Quarter Casks, Cask Strength, Limited Release. Phew, that’s a mouthful. Dr. Don, who’s deeply involved and active in the whisky community, knows that consumers are looking for bolder and bigger whisky expressions.
A little bit about this bottle; cask strength 100% rye whisky that has been finished for 17 months in first-fill peated single malt quarter casks. On the label; bottled August 2021, bottle number 1392, 55.5% ABV (111 proof). Enough already, let’s dive into this dram.
The Review
The Sniff
Delightful on the nose at the front rye spice notes coupled with sweet earthy peat smoke. A little deeper the fruity, spicy and floral notes of Lot No. 40, honey, white pepper a hint of caramel, then more bold rye.
The Sip
Coats the mouth with a wonderful rye spiciness. This is very oak and rye forward, moving towards paprika and cinnamon on the mild palate. As the journey continues on the sip, the rye blends with the peat into an earthy nutty flavor (peanut brittle) before arriving at the peat. The peat seems to be a lighter “speyside” peat with a nice sweet and brine taste.
The Finale
The finish for a cask strength rye is where I’m let down slightly. It fades much more quickly than previous Cask Strength releases which lasted for minutes. It moves nicely from fresh mown grass to light nuttiness and wrapping up with white pepper. Overall it lasts about 1 minute and 15 seconds, my mouth then begins watering for more.
The Wrap-up
I didn’t know what to expect from this limited release. Was this going to be a Frankenstein of a drink or was it going to be a delicious journey of whiskies like High West Campfire? The nose is delicious and the moment this hit my palate, I became excited. It is a journey through a well crafted 100% rye whisky and a nicely aged Speyside peated Scotch. This whisky is “smooth” and doesn’t drink like a 55.5% abv (111 proof) whisky.
