American Woman Special Release Straight Rye at 102 proof — at $60, the question is whether it delivers on its promise. I sat down with a pour to find out.
Nose
Incredibly similar in color to the American Woman Straight Bourbon. Loving that sherry corn color, maybe just the slightest bit darker but probably not worth mentioning it. Its also funny when observing for legs, only on half of the glass did thick legs frolic while on the other side of the glass, they hide. Big yes to the classic rye characteristics of medicinal spice. Need to ease in and out from the glass opening with this one. Ginger candy on the forefront. Through the tickling burn, a peach cobbler takes over the senses with heavy notes of cinnamon and orange zest. Even more so than the bourbon, to round off the nose, there is a crunchy salty pretzel rod dipped in caramel and drizzled with dark chocolate.
Palate
A fancy dark cherry you just dug out at the bottom of a rye Manhattan, soaked in all its glory, burst with these flavors. More dark fruit like dates and figs stick around too. Lastly, a ginger forward chai with zested cinnamon on top is in the finish. The initial mouthfeel was spikey, dried out the tongue, and really warmed my chest on the way down. But sitting awhile longer with it, the spikey tingly sensation sticks around but it mellows quickly for you to capture and experience the fun spices in this straight rye. A special release and their only rye available to date, this straight rye is punchy but easy to forgive when it rounds off with a bouquet of flowers. This stands tall alongside other rye favorites but doesn’t scare you off with the classic spicy presence. The long finish lets you know you are for sure sipping on a rye, but with the initial dance, one could easily mistaken this as a bourbon.rnrnAs much as I hate being tricked, I sure enjoyed this rye and will continue to imbibe it in my favorite way – neat.
Finish
Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
The Bottom Line
American Woman Special Release Straight Rye delivers the goods. It is well-made, genuinely enjoyable, and at $60 represents solid value for what you are getting. I would happily buy this again.
