Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Review
This is a decent rye that checks all the boxes required of an American rye whiskey, but it needs more time in the barrel to gain complexity and character to make it worth its $69 price.
BOTTLES DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Released by Grain & Barrel Spirits and made in partnership with the Bardstown Bourbon Company as part of its collaborative distilling program.
- MASH BILL: 95% Rye | 5% Malted Barley
- AGE: At least 2 years old since it's a straight rye whiskey
- YEAR: 2020
- PROOF: 90 Proof (45% ABV)
- MSRP: $69.99
- BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com
STEVE'S NOTES
NOSE: Spearmint and Rye Grain | White Pepper | Lemon Cake | Ripe Pineapple
TASTE: Spearmint | Sweet Corn | Toasted Rye Bread | Citrus Peel
FINISH: Short and simple
SHARE WITH: Anyone who likes rye or those not used to rye's spiciness.
WORTH THE PRICE: No. There are better ryes at $20 to $30 less. Sixty-nine dollars is a big ask for so simple a whiskey, not to mention one so young. Bottom line is it lacks complexity. The good news is its spice character and intriguing aromas bode well for a really solid whiskey at least two years from now. I'd love to try it then.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar. If you like young, medium-proof rye, look for this at a bar. Try it neat as I don't think it'll stand out in a cocktail
OVERALL: This is a decent rye that checks all the boxes required of an American rye whiskey, but it needs more time in the barrel to gain complexity and character to make it worth its $69 price. Only a few drops of water blunted the whole presentation, which also shows its youth (perhaps 2-3 years.)
BRAND NOTES
Distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky, Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey has a rich caramel color with a hue of dark orange.
NOSE: Pepper, a hint of cinnamon, grassiness, and sweet oak lactones.
TASTE: A complexity of spices, vanilla, butterscotch, pepper with a hint of dryness and slight overtones of citrus and oak.
FINISH: Very long, slow peppery finish with a hint of sweet honey and a wonderful buttery mouthfeel.
The whiskey is bottled in a prohibition-era replica of the original Chicken Cock bottle, non-chill filtered, 95 percent rye, and 90 proof.
GRAIN & BARREL SPIRITS LAUNCHES NEW CHICKEN COCK KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY 100% DISTILLED, AGED & BOTTLED IN KY
BARDSTOWN, Ky. (April 7, 2020) – Grain & Barrel Spirits’ (“G&B”) has released Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey in select markets, “The Famous Old Brand’s” first Rye in more than 70 years. The introduction follows the fall 2019 launch of the brand’s anchor expression, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The reintroduction of a straight rye whiskey signals a return to pre-prohibition times when the classic spirit was more prevalent, while also honoring the brand’s history and heritage.
Made in partnership with the Bardstown Bourbon Company as part of its collaborative distilling program, the new Straight Rye Whiskey was 100% distilled, aged, and bottled in the Bluegrass State. It’s a beautifully balanced non-chill filtered 95% rye whiskey, which features a caramel color with a hue of dark orange. The nose reveals a tremendous complexity of spices including pepper and cinnamon, with a hint of dryness and slight overtones of citrus and oak. A creamy, almost buttery mouthfeel is complemented by vanilla and butterscotch, followed by a long, slow peppery finish with a hint of sweet honey. At 90 proof (45% ABV), there is a slight, welcome heat. Like the new KY Straight Bourbon, the KY Straight Rye is bottled in a Prohibition-era Chicken Cock replica apothecary-style bottle.
“The number one question I’m asked since resurrecting Chicken Cock Whiskey is, where can I find it?” said Matti Anttila, founder of Grain & Barrel Spirits. “In the beginning, we were limited geographically by liquid so we were forced to allocate to a small group of select markets. Now, several years into the comeback, we’re able to broaden our distribution with our two top quality, everyday expressions – first, our Kentucky Straight Bourbon and now our Kentucky Straight Rye. Both of these will be the cornerstones of the brand as it rolls out nationally throughout 2020.”
Established in 1856 in Paris, Kentucky (10 years before Jack Daniels), Chicken Cock rose to fame as the house whiskey at The Cotton Club, one of Prohibition’s most legendary speakeasies. Known as “The Famous Old Brand” and “The Whiskey in a Tin Can,” Chicken Cock was smuggled into the Club in sealed tin cans, then ceremoniously opened table-side. After Prohibition, the brand enjoyed a resurgent couple of decades before a distillery fire just after World War II put it out of business. In 2012, Matti Anttila rediscovered the brand and set out to resurrect it to its Prohibition-era glory. Master Distiller Gregg Snyder was enlisted to provide the knowledge and experience needed to help achieve that goal. Snyder’s résumé includes distilling, cooperage, and executive positions with Brown-Forman, Austin Nichols, as well as board positions with the Associated Cooperage Industries of America, Kentucky Distillers’ Association, and others.
Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is now available for the suggested retail price of $69.99 per 750ml bottle online and in the following markets: FL, IL, KS, KY, MO, NY, OK, SC, and TN, with broader national distribution to follow shortly.
Disclaimer: Grain & Barrel Spirits provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.