Herbaceous | Pine tree needles | Tree sap | Baking spices | Christmas tree field

Light oak | Malted barley | Thin caramel | Berries covered in chocolate | Bold baking spices | Rye spice | Green bell peppers | Non-traditional rye flavors

Rye spice | Light leather | Light malted chocolate | Hints of caramel | Dry oak | Lingering spice

Mile High Spirits is based out of Denver, Colorado. Having had a chance to visit the distillery, I appreciate the fact that the company pushes the boundaries when it comes to the grains they use in their whiskeys. This is no exception with this latest single barrel rye, which contains three different rye varieties along with smoked malted barley.

The result of these varied grains? A non-traditional rye that will make you pause to figure out what you’re tasting, but never gets so weird that you want to turn away either. A noticeable amount of Christmas tree field scents kicks off the sip, with pine needles and tree sap jumping out. The midpoint is full of a hodgepodge of various flavors that form an incredibly curious combination when taken together. The finish displays more non-traditional notes, ending things with classic rye spice, oak, and leather notes. Taken as a whole it’s actually an enjoyable sip but pushes you to really sit down and dissect what you’re taking in and think about the sip as a whole.

The bottle in review comes from barrel 17G26.3A.2.