Rye grain | Rye bread | Fresh oak

Bold rye spice | Spearmint | Baking spices | Light vanilla | Rye grain | New oak

Rye spice | Green peppercorn | Fresh dry oak | Lingering oak & spice

Long Island Spirits was founded in 2007 in Baiting Hollow, New York. The company was the first distillery to be located on Long Island since the 1800s. It’s a farm-to-bottle distillery, producing a range of spirits including vodka, liquors, and various types of whiskeys. 

The old adage of you can’t escape Father Time is well suited here, as Rough Rider The Big Stick Rye’s short time in the barrel is evident throughout. The whiskey opens with a straightforward aroma of rye grain, rye bread, and fresh oak. Moving to the midpoint brings about bold rye spice and spearmint notes, both of which are accentuated by the whiskey’s proof. These flavors clash with notes of baking spices, rye grain, and new oak. The rye spice and oak move into the finish as a final showing of the whiskey's young age is on display.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with young craft whiskey. Many craft distilleries release great products and hone their craft over time. When using a 30 gallon barrel and aging your product for a year only, there’s only so much a company can do to overcome the fact that whiskey often needs to spend extended time aging in a barrel to truly shine. In the case of Rough Rider The Big Stick Rye, its youthfulness is evident throughout. I’m truly curious to see how this would do with more time aging in a barrel; however, for now, taking into account that its price is almost $60, it will be a hard sell for most consumers. 

The bottle in review is from Batch 43.