Nose
The nose of this Ry3 Whiskey Cask Strength Rum Cask Finish Rye begins very pleasant and mild, revealing a butteriness, golden raisins, ginger, and very soft cinnamon. As you go deeper into the nosing, more syrupy notes emerge. There is a syrupy sugar and dark berry nature to this nosing. However, all of it is relatively subtle. You will sense more baking spices than rye spice on the nose- mainly white pepper. There’s an airy, creamy, and fruity nature to the aroma.
Palate
On the initial tasting, the caramelized sugars are present. Creamy, buttery, rich, and sweet, with a little ethanol kick that does not quite balance out the sweetness. However, I like sweeter whiskeys, so this is right up my alley. What I find interesting about this Ry3 Cask Strength Rum Cask Finish Rye is that the rye spice you would expect tends to come later in the tasting experience. So, after you get about an ounce or two into the tasting, some of the warmth of this 121.6-proof rye spice starts to come to the fore. It stays at that point. It is moderately oily as well. This is a very good rye. In fact, I have yet to have a bad or even average Ry3 whiskey.
Finish
Interestingly, the taste goes dry on the moderately long finish, with the baking spices becoming more pronounced, which contrasts nicely with the sweeter palate.