From the company’s website: “Originally established in 1856 in Paris, Kentucky, Chicken Cock quickly became one of the larger bourbon brands of the 19th century. Forced to move production to Canada when Prohibition started, Chicken Cock was smuggled across the border in tin cans, where it rose to fame as a popular serve at some of the era’s most famous speakeasies, including the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem. At the Cotton Club, when patrons ordered a “Chicken Cock,” waiters would present the tin can tableside and ceremoniously open it to reveal the bottle of Chicken Cock Whiskey inside. Duke Ellington writes about Chicken Cock in his memoirs, referring to the “brand that was served in a tin can.” At a rumored $15 per bottle Chicken Cock wasn’t for the light of pocket, but it was a small price to pay to secure a prime table near some of the greatest musicians of the era. After prohibition, multiple attempts were made to bring “the famous old brand” back to its former glory, but shifting drinking habits caused it, along with many significant American Whiskey brands of the 19th and early 20th centuries, to disappear."

‍‍‍‍The Chicken Cock brand was resurrected by entrepreneur Matti Anttila beginning in 2011, with the first modern day release being a 30 barrel release of 8 year old bourbon in 2017. The release honored the brand’s 160th Anniversary.

‍‍‍‍Kentucky Straight Rye is Chicken Cock’s flagship rye product. First released in 2020, the whiskey is contract distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company as part of its collaborative distilling program.

The whiskey opens with a delicate bouquet of summer fruits, with white peaches standing out above the rest. Joining these fruit scents are faint rye spice, fresh oak, and vanilla. Rounding things out are light scents of white peppercorn and hay, along with a dab of nougat. The overall aroma that kicks off the sip is nice, however, its lightness is noticeable and slightly frustrating, as you really need to inhale to get the most out of it.

The lightness that the nose displays carries over to the palate. Delivering a thin mouthfeel, the rye highlights vanilla, light rye spice, and fresh oak. Digging deeper pulls out threads of white peppercorn and watery peach. The flavors come together as more muddled and thin versus defined and bold.

A slight pop of rye spice kicks things off and is joined with vanilla and a light, sweet dulce de leche note. The sweetness fades, and in its wake, a combination of rye spice, white peppercorn spice, and oak are left behind. These flavors are short-lived, however, as even this additional highlight of spice is quick to exit. Like the start of the sip, the finish is nice, but the shortness and quick delivery of flavors is frustrating since it seems like it has more potential than it showcases.

The rye market, while not as robust as the bourbon market, has steadily seen an increase in releases over the past several years. This has resulted in a plethora of different rye whiskeys being released, ranging in extremes from sweet to extra spicy and everything in between. The standard for what is considered good, let alone great, becomes more elevated year over year. This is why it’s so perplexing to see Chicken Cock Rye in its current iteration. When it was first released in 2020, you could give the brand a pass for having their first standard offering rye being aged for only 2 years. However, having had four additional years to age their stock longer, it’s surprising to see it still carry a 2 year age statement. What that translates to in real life is a rye that, while not necessarily young and grainy tasting, lacks stature and has a hard time making an impact, let alone standing out amongst the crowd.

It is rare for a whiskey’s price to go down since it was initially released, but Chicken Cock Rye falls into this category. When it was first introduced to the market in 2020, it carried an MSRP of $70. Fast forward 4 years, and it is now priced at $60. While it’s always great to see any American whiskey become priced more consumer-friendly than before, even at $60, Chicken Cock Rye is a hard sell. It’s not the fact that the whiskey is only 2 years old or is 90 proof, those alone are hurdles that can be overcome in certain cases, but it’s more so that this particular rye lacks any pizazz, especially for the price. There are plenty of ryes out there priced at $60 or lower that deliver a better pour for the money.

Chicken Cock Rye takes a familiar rye mashbill that is best known thanks to MGP in Indiana and brings it to Kentucky instead. While many will be happy to see another rye option from the state of Kentucky, more will care about how its flavor profile stacks up versus what state it was distilled in. The problem is the sip that is delivered by Chicken Cock Rye is adequate at best. It starts and stops with serviceable flavors, but overall they lack any punch or weight to them. The palate is its low point which is the clearest sign yet of the whiskey's youth and lack of development while aging in oak for only 2 years. For those who absolutely are looking for another Kentucky rye, Chicken Cock Rye will suffice, but set expectations accordingly to the fact that this is an average rye carrying a price tag of one that has much higher aspirations.