Rich caramel | Vanilla | Candy corn | Sweet & inviting

Loads of caramel | Vanilla custard | Creme brulee | Quite tasty

Rye spice develops, creeping in softly | Caramel chews | Anise | Long with lingering spice

Thirteenth Colony Distilleries lays claim to being Georgia’s original craft distillery, producing spirits since 2009. Southern Rye Whiskey is aged in new charred oak barrels with custom toasted French oak spirals, and then cut with natural water from Georgia’s oldest aquifer. This particular whiskey has a few head-scratching qualities, which is not a bad thing but surprising never-the-less.

First, while it’s made from a 96% rye mashbill, it is quite a bit more sweet than it is spicy, and the spice doesn’t develop until the finish. Second, it’s only three years old, and does not show any signs of youth at all. While it is quite tasty overall, its lack of dimension holds it back from achieving greater heights. But at $35, it’s a must buy, and the fact that it comes in a bottle reminiscent of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is either a bonus or a penalty, depending on who you ask.