We turn our attention to J. Rieger’s & Co. Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled at 50% ABV, mash bill: 56% corn, 30% rye and 14% malt. At $59.99/ 750ml bottle, it enters a competitive field.
Palate
Limp and silky on the palate, this offers up decadent flavors of spun sugar, honey, toasted French bread, Honey Nuts cereal, and sweet tea. It has a lightly toasted sweetness to it that almost reminds me of wheat whiskey. Its reads as sweet without being cloying because it has a crisp and light feel to the body and gentle tannins on the finish. Its extremely well composed and goes down very easy. The finish ends rather abruptly, leaving a hint of yeast and toasted pine nuts, but not much else.
Finish
This is a delicious whiskey, but it really falls off on the finish. Its clean with no off flavors, but it feels a touch lacking. Im a neat-whiskey-thank-you kind of gal, but I decided to give this a chance on the rocks. It surprised me by bringing out the vanilla on the finish along with a suggestion of golden raisins. Its quite decadent. Youll have to visit Kansas City for the ultimate decedent experience: long, long-time Kansas City chocolate makers Andres Confiserie Suisse cant ship their Riegers-infused Chocolate Shots.
Verdict
J. Rieger’s & Co. Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey delivers a thoroughly accomplished whiskey that justifies its $59.99/ 750ml bottle price point. It is well-crafted, balanced, and worthy of a place in any considered collection.
