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# Fear & Loathing Rye Review: A Smooth 95-Proof Sipper
- URL: https://www.bourbonbanter.com/fear-loathing-rye-review-a-smooth-95-proof-sipper/
- Published: 2025-06-04T09:00:50.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-04T09:00:49.000Z
- Description: The nose is a soft blend of caramel corn, cotton candy, mint and a little burnt orange peel: truly pleasant. The palate is bolder with dark caramel, roasted corn, more mint and cherry Lifesaver. Again, quite nice. Nothing to dislike at all.
- Author: Steve Coomes
- Tags: Rye Whiskey Reviews, Bar, Gonzo Whiskey Co.

## **BOTTLE DETAILS**

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- **DISTILLER:** R. Duke Co. for [Gonzo Whiskey Co.](https://shopgonzowhiskey.com/product/gonzo-whiskey-co-s-fear-loathing-first-edition/?ref=bourbonbanter.com)
- **MASH BILL:** 95% Rye | 5% Malted Rye
- **AGE:** Around 6 years
- **YEAR:** 2025
- **PROOF:** 95 (47.5% AVB)
- **MSRP:** $69
- **BUY ONLINE:** [Gonzo Online Whiskey Shop](https://shopgonzowhiskey.com/?ref=bourbonbanter.com)

## **STEVE'S NOTES**

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**SHARE WITH:** American whiskey lovers, especially those who might be new to rye. This contains many common rye flavor and aroma virtues delivered in a soft and approachable liquid. It's an easy drinker, and I think those often are overlooked by people in my line of work.

**WORTH THE PRICE:** It's a little high for a young rye lacking provenance and complexity, but that's often the going rate for sourced craft whiskey. I do like this bottle, but were I considering buying it, I'd be more interested at a lower price.

**BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST:** Bar. Try before you buy. 

**OVERALL:** A phrase spoken occasionally in the industry is, "If you must source whiskey, source well." Gonzo whiskey has chosen nicely with this whiskey. This is well made and balanced, a likable neat pour that will serve perfectly in lower ABV cocktails (sub 100 proof; I lean toward 100 proof and up). Some would call it sessionable.

*Pardon the interruption:* The Fear and Loathing brand story is discussed in my previous review about its wheated bourbon. If interested, [click here](https://www.bourbonbanter.com/inside-gonzo-whiskey-fear-loathing-bourbon-review/) to read that.

The nose is a pleasant blend of caramel corn, cotton candy, mint and a little burnt orange peel. The palate is bolder with dark caramel, roasted corn, more mint and cherry Lifesaver. Again, quite nice. Nothing to dislike at all. 

But I would, however, like more age and proof to create and sustain more complexity. Especially in the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo journalism, I hoped for something a little more rowdy, edgy and unpredictable. But regular whiskey drinkers know that such attributes are closely wed to maturity, which is expensive to create for new brands.

## **BRAND NOTES**

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Made with Gonzo Whiskey barrels, distilled and aged using a 95% rye mash bill, Fear & Loathing Rye Whiskey is a complex rye delivering notes of dark fruit, cinnamon, and herbal spice, developing into a full-bodied profile that’s anything but straightforward, with a finish that lingers. 

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*Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.*