Introduction
The following review is taken from our episode "City Lights / Town Branch Rye." Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.
Today, we are looking at Town Branch Rye, a whiskey that comes to us from Lexington Brewing & Distilling, also known as Alltech, in Lexington, KY. This distillery is near and dear to my heart because it is the first distillery I ever took a tour of on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Brad: When I first moved to the Lexington area, my wife and I went to Alltech, the giant conglomerate that owns Lexington Distilling Company. They also make Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, which is incredible. They have a brewery on site, and when you go on the tour, you pay your fee and get a cup full of tokens to try samples. It's a really fun and customizable tour.
Bob: Town Branch Rye has been rebranded and relaunched in nifty-looking square bottles. However, the bottle we're reviewing today has been discontinued. The old label states it was "produced by" Alltech Lexington Distilling Company, which is confusing because it doesn't clarify if it was distilled there. The new label says it was all distilled on-site. This is a 100-proof rye whiskey, but it does not say it is a straight rye whiskey, so we have no idea how old it is. We're assuming it's at least four years old due to the lack of an age statement. Let's give it a try, Brad.
Nose
Brad: The nose has some vanilla, clove, rye, and almost a spiced cherry. It's unique and interesting, and I'm intrigued by it. I'll give it a 7.5/10.
Bob: Drinking rye is always a humbling experience for me. I like to think I have a fairly discerning palate, but rye grain is challenging. This one smells like a rye, more of a dill rye for me, which I'm cool with. It has a strong rye grain with a sour dill presence and a little sweetness. I like it a lot and will also give it a 7.5/10.
Taste
Brad: On the palate, there's some nice complexity that's not overwhelming. There's a bit of citrus in the middle of my palate, some honey on the tip of my tongue, and a fresh, spongy spice cake feel that's more savory than sweet. The finish has some nice vanilla. I'll give it an 8/10.
Bob: I do not like this. It manifests as really young rye grain and super bitter grapefruit, not sour but really bitter. The bitterness feeds back into the youthfulness, creating a self-perpetuating cycle that gets worse with each sip. This is a 4.5/10 on the palate for me.
Finish
Brad: The finish has some oak, vanilla, and rye. Nothing too crazy, but nothing bad or sour. I'll give it a 7.5/10.
Bob: I'm on my third sip, and it's approaching palatability. But it's still not working for me. The finish is a little better than the palate, so I'll give it a 5/10.
Balance
Brad: I'll give the balance a 7/10. It's decently complex with good flavors but nothing that stands out.
Bob: The balance is way out of whack. It started okay and then tipped into something off. I'll give it a 5.5/10.
Value
Brad: I'm seeing this bottle priced at $49. At that price, it's not great value. I'll give it a 5/10. If it were $30-$35, it would be solid value.
Bob: I trust your palate, but I can't recommend this. I'll give it a 3/10 on value.
Final Scores
Brad: My total is 35.5/50.
Bob: I'm at 25.5/50. Combined, we come to an average of 30.5/50 or 61/100.
Conclusion
At Film & Whiskey, we typically recommend trying a pour at a bar or buying a bottle if it scores above 35/50. A score of 40/50 is considered great, and 45/50 is excellent. With a combined score of 30.5/50, we cannot recommend Town Branch Rye. However, we do recommend taking the Alltech tour if you ever visit Lexington. While this whiskey was a letdown, the tour and other products they offer are worth checking out.
