The most striking thing about this is the lack of depth when compared to their amazing bourbon. I don’t find it nearly as flavorful or robust as their bourbon and I think there’s a reason for that… Bulleit didn’t actually make this one. Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI) did. Now, that’s nothing new and it’s not something we’re unaccustomed to here on The Whiskey Jug, in fact some of my favorite whiskeys are blends of LDI whiskey. However, this one leaves me feeling a bit flat.
It’s not a bad rye by any means, but it’s just honestly not a fantastic rye. I feel like I have had it before and with the prevalence of LDI whiskey being bottled under different labels I probably have. All of that aside I have to say that while I would rather drink the Old Overholt straight (I rated them the same), I would rather use this as a cocktail mixer and make some high quality cocktails. The incredibly high amount of rye in the mash bill means that there is a more intense rye spice and that works very well in cocktails and keeps the rye flavor from being watered down and helps keep a fantastic flavor profile in the cocktail.
Overall I don’t really want to drink this one neat, but it’s incredible on the rocks or in a cocktail. Every cocktail I’ve made with it has been successful and had a very robust flavor profile to it thanks to the high rye content. In fact, the only rye I like making cocktails with more than it is the Rittenhouse 100 which continues to pack a punch when mixed due to it’s high alcohol content and it’s big burley flavor doesn’t water down very easily.
If you’ve had this not so unique dram put your thoughts and / or tasting notes in the comments below. I’d love to hear them.
Bulleit Rye Review
ABV: 45%
Price: $30
Distiller: Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI) /Midwest Grain Products (MGP)
Mash: 95% rye 5% malted barley
EYE
Light caramel with slight orange accents
NOSE
Astringent briny rye exudes from the bottle. Caramel, cinnamon, cloves, and a rather mild rye spice considering it’s 95% rye mash bill. A touch of creme brulee and red licorice.
TASTE
I found the rye spice. It may have been oddly muted on the nose, but on the palate it comes roaring out. Cinnamon, cloves, honey, a light peppery pop, some buttery toffee and a smooth caramel underpinning. There is a hint of mint, but it’s not so much the flavor of mint as the sensation of mint.
FEEL
A bit dry and rough around the edges it comes across a tad aggressive. There’s a lot of burn in this bottle.
FINISH
Cloves and pepper fade to a slight grapeyness which fades to a woody rye spice that lingers.
SCORE: 83/100
PS.. I just bought a 1.75L of Bulleit Rye at the Navy Exchange for $39.95, and no tax. Still no GD Rye around here. Cheers!
That’s a hell of a price!
Fair enough, Josh.. If Beam is what is in the Bulleit bourbon, its no wonder I don’t like it. Agree on the Four Roses. I am a big fan of the Dickel 12 and Dickel 13. I’ll track down a bottle of the Dickel Rye and give it a try. Cheers to you as well!
Cool, would love to see your thoughts on the Dickel Rye when you try it. Cheers Jimmy!
I am the exact opposite of you. I love the MGP Bulleit Rye neat, but dislike the Bulleit Bourbon (don’t know where they source that from). The bourbon tastes coarse and rough. Like I imagine a dirty cowboy spitting tobacco juice into it.. nasty. I won’t buy the Bulleit Bourbon again. The rye is normally $30 around here but I only buy it when it goes on sale for $20. I wish I could get Dickel Rye in my area (north Florida) but haven’t been able to find it yet. And you guys who mix great bourbons into cheap cocktails make me shake my head..
On the modern Bulleit I would 100% agree with you that I like the rye more than the bourbon (which I think is at least partially sourced from Jim Beam now). Back when I wrote this it was in the heyday of Bulleit being contract distilled by Four Roses and the bourbon was magnificent. It’s nowhere near the same anymore. Though I still stand by liking the GD Rye more. It’s the MGP sourced rye I buy the most!
Re: Cocktails. In my defense, I don’t know about others, I buy good ingredients to make my cocktails and steer towards spirit focused cocktails that highlight what’s in it not masks it and only ever put 1/4 to 1/2 of any sugar asked for. I think it displays the whiskey in a different light that I enjoy. But to each their own :)
Cheers Jimmy!
Always interesting to hear about other people’s impressions. I tend to like high rye bourbons, so maybe it’s no surprise that I like this high rye rye. For me, Old Overholt isn’t even close. For my tastes, this is really great.
I understand that Bulleit sources its rye from MGP (formerly LDI), but doesn’t Bulleit source their bourbon as well? Of course, someone could like their bourbon and not their rye, but I think it wouldn’t be because one is sourced and one isn’t.
Hey Nobodyspecial, I don’t dislike it because it’s sourced, there’s plenty of sourced MGP I love (Dickel Rye being my fave). I’m just not partial to the profile Bulleit rye blends for with those sourced barrels. I always end up with some odd/off notes and recently get a heavier metallic finish in what they’re bottling. Though all of that goes out the window when using it in cocktails where the spice notes come through more – which is where I really enjoy this one.
Thanks for sharing, cheers!
Knew I should’ve read your review before plunging head 1st…Was at the store – this rye, and the Makers Mark were on sale ($25 for the Bulleit Rye, and $20 for the MM – should’ve got the MM)…Right off the bat I get a odor of paint thinner, and/or cleaning solution on the nose…The palate has little to offer, and maybe some hints of what a rye has to offer on the finish…All in all this is no different than Bulleit bourbon – as in both aren’t very good…I’ll stick with Knob Creek, and Russels Reserve rye instead.
I haven’t had it in a while, sounds like it hasn’t changed too much. Hard to beat that Russell’s Rye, it’s one of my go-tos. Cheers Freddy!
Unfortunately, the reviewer has no idea about how to experience Rye Whiskey. If you add ice, it takes away the spicy experience. He/she is should not be qualified to review any rye whisky.
I guess it’s true, not everyone can score a 52 on reading comprehension. The review was done neat, I just stated a preference for daily sipping…
I disagree completely with this review. Their bourbon is just awful and this rye is fantastic.
I’d, kinda, agree with you now. Back when it was made at Four Roses their bourbon was amazing. Now that it’s (likely) made at Beam it’s just meh. The rye is indeed better than the bourbon now.
When did they stop making it at Four Roses?
Several years ago… 2014 I think
I guess I’m in reverse on this one ….. Man , this is so excellent neat ! It’s so smooth it’s damn near scary . I’ve only had a couple fingers of it since I was gifted the bottle by a friend but I just wanted to share that I think this is amazing Rye and I’m looking forward to having more of it and really ” getting it ” . I’ve not tried many Rye , just Bullet , Rittenhouse and Jim Beam . Honestly , the Bulleit is light years ahead . I’m sure theres better out there [ ? ] but I just cant imagine , though I look forward to it
Cheers John. If you like this you might like the Dickel Rye. It’s the exact same whiskey, but they do a charcoal filtering to it that I think makes it a much better whisky. Though there’s also no reason we can’t like different things either :)
Hey, Josh, just a suggestion–maybe this one is worth a revisit? I have zero clue if they’ve changed anything about this but I had it neat at a bar a few months ago, and the nose was bursting with white pepper and elderflower. It seemed pretty on point to me, rye-spice-wise. I dunno, maybe I was drinking subpar whiskey for long enough that “good enough” seemed amazing.
Hey Will,
I have an unopened bottle I bought last year. I’ll definitley get around to opening it at some point and when I do I’ll revisit and update if needed. Cheers man and thanks for the comment!
I tend to agree that the George Dickel is better. I feel like I need to expand my horizons beyond what the state-run Virginia liquor stores will let me get my hands on (Bulleit, Dickel, Jim Beam, Overholt, and then a bunch of top-shelf stuff I can’t afford). James E. Pepper 1776 is the only thing close to a mid-range daily drinker, and I’m actually thinking that Dickel could compete with it in a blind tasting.
Also, I had no idea that the song “Rye Whiskey” was set around the Clinch River just a few hours southwest of me in Dickenson County, Virginia. I have to say the grain makes better whiskey than flour. I made the mistake of using some rye flour in pizza dough, and while it was a unique experience, I have no desire to replicate it anytime soon.
Cheers!
Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
If I may… that is because it isn’t a bourbon. You are enjoying a Rye Whiskey. I too though, tend to enjoy Rye more than bourbon as a rule. Cheers.
Cheers!
I bought a bottle of this and tried it today for the first time and loved it. It’s pretty in-your-face, what with the 95% rye mashbill, but that’s what I want from a rye – spice and bite! It reminded me a bit of the Jim Beam Rye of a few years back when the label was still bright yellow, though I have to say the Bulleit is richer and has more depth. Still not a patch on the Thomas H. Handy straight rye, but as that’s almost impossible to find here in Japan, especially at anything approaching a reasonable price, this bottle of Bulleit Rye Frontier Whiskey will do me just fine. Neat, of course! We’ll leave the cocktails to the girls, eh?
I dunno, I love me a good cocktail now and then. 90% of the whiskey I drink is neat, but I love a great cocktail now-and-then.
Cheers Martin!
I have been mixing Bulleit Rye with Barsmith Old Fasioned mix and this cocktail is lights out! Like Jake states earlier, Angastora aromatic bitters and Angastora Orange bitters is a must. Fresh orange peel and look out. Bulleit knocked it outta the park with their rye. Who knew a $30.00 bottle was so damned good?
For cocktails it’s freaking amazing. You’ll get no argument from me there! Cheers!
I gotta say, I love this stuff. Maybe it’s just favoritism because I love Bulleit Bourbon but damn. While I can totally understand not wanting it straight, I personally love a glass neat with just a few drops of water.
As a mixer, one of the things I love about this is the natural elderflower aroma and flavor. On the nose there’s lots of floral notes and on the palate I pick up the same richness I get from Riesling and Gewürztraminer late harvest wines. I’ve been using Bulleit Rye mixed with St Germain and lime juice with some red pepper flakes and honey and boy, does that make a nice cocktail.
Overall, I think you nailed it at the end of your review–this whiskey is unique. Whether you buy it again or decide it’s not worth a revisit, I feel as though it’s something worth buying just to figure out how you feel about it. Sláinte.
Cheers Will!
Bulletin Rye is one of my favorite whiskies and I think I like it a little better than you do. But, hey! Everyone’s taste is different. I also like WT Rye 81 but the Bulleit Rye is better in my opinion. To me it has this great spicy mint citrus note that I love, probably due to the higher proof. Actually like this better than the Bulleit Bourbon. Always appreciate your reviews and the weekly newsletter.
To each their own indeed. Thanks and cheers Kraig!
Picked this up this weekend. I agree the finish is a little rough, but still a decent pour. I think I enjoy Big House bourbon more than Bulleit Rye. Big House is sweeter than Bulleit, but has a better finish. Although Bulleit does have a lingering sweet taste that I cannot put my finger on yet. Think I may have to go into full scale research mode on this one
Cheers.
I’ve never had Big House, but if I get the chance I’ll give it a try and see how it goes.
Cheers!
I know that bulleit is 95% rye, and Big House is a 60,35,5 ( corn,rye,barley). But being a high rye mashbill I thought comparing both would work. On another note my brother-in-law just dropped off a bottle of Russell Reserve Rye 6 year. I can’t wait to get taste this one!
Keep up the great work!
Cheers!
Nice, I love that Russells Reserve. Hope you enjoy it!
Josh.
Some info on big house for you.
Big House is from Underdog wine & spirits in Livermore Ca. They are a NDP sourced company. They source their juice from MGD out of Indiana, my backyard. They seem to be honest about.
Cheers
Haven’t tried to drink this rye neat yet. I have although mixed myself an old fashioned (or two) with it. I found it extremely enjoyable and easy to drink.
Sugar cube, 3 dashes angostura, 1 dash orange bitters, dash of water, 2 oz Rye, orange and cherry to garnish.
Absolutely incredible
Bulleit Rye is on my top 5 list of favorite pours. I find it may be slightly rough, but it finishes very smooth with a slightly sweet and spicy finish. Love it on ice. Great value too.
agree about it being a rough neat… but I too love it over ice, also makes an excellent hot todday
This is an old review, but it’s worth noting that Bulleit Bourbon is distilled at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and aged nearby (Bulleit doesn’t have a distillery there). The arrangement they have with MGP (a.k.a. LDI) is identical. Bulleit Rye is distilled in Indiana by MGP and aged by Bulleit. I’m not passing judgment on Bulleit for doing this, it’s incredibly common. What I’m pointing out is that there is effectively no difference in the production arrangement between the Bulleit Bourbon and the Bulleit Rye. If you are a fan of the Bulleit Bourbon, try the Four Roses Small Batch.
It was distilled at Four Roses (which I covered here https://thewhiskeyjug.com/bourbon-whiskey/bulleit-bourbon-review/) but that arrangement has ended. My sources say that as soon as the Four Roses juice they have on hand is gone the “new” Bulleit will be a blend of a high rye bourbon made by Jim Beam and a high rye bourbon from Heaven Hill. They’re sourcing from 2 distilleries instead of 1 to prevent them from completely losing their source like they did when Kirin cancelled the Four Roses deal.
I find this an excellent whiskey. I drink it neat and has a great finish. Next I will try their aged and see how it is but I have to say that this is so far one of my favorite.
I agree with the caramel,cloves and pepper comments but drinking this at this very moment in the UK and I am loving the burn in the finish and I am enjoying this neat.Each to their own as they say in these parts.
Hey Michael,
Thanks for the comment, always love hearing others perspectives on whiskey. Cheers!
I’m a spirit lover and I would never dilute with water (even if it’s just a splash to “open” it up).
My introduction to spirits from the Midwest started with Jack Daniel’s No.7 but there’s too much of a corn mash aftertaste and that’s true (though to a lesser extent) of the Bulleit bourbon also. By contrast, I like the clean palate of the Bulleit rye and the heat on the finish is reminiscent of a good vodka or scotch.
I’m also a spirits lover and to each their own. Water does cause a reaction in whiskey, and most spirits above 45%, that can help unlock hidden complexities but I always start out at whatever proof it’s bottled at and then test and see what happens with water. Sometimes magic happens, sometimes not. I’m interested in exploring all the layers a good spirit can have inside.
This review is on point. This rye is tailor made for cocktails. It is not for drinking neat.
I have been playing with Italian bitters and vermouths lately and was trying to figure out the Fanciulli. Bulleit Rye mixes into this drink perfectly. This is an allies vs axis drink where the American Rye must go toe to toe with the Italian Fernet. Neither gains any ground which is bad for war but great for a balanced drink.
What cocktails do you think the Bulleit Rye mix into most excellently?
Thank you. I really like it in both a Manhattan and a Sazerac, but what I really enjoy it in is this: https://thewhiskeyjug.com/whiskey/prohibition-cocktail-rye-whiskey-cocktail/
First time I tried this I was a little skeptical after reading your review, but since I’ve had Bulleit Bourbon I figured the Rye can’t be far off, and I was right. Not much Rye to the nose but intense on the taste and finish. I’m going to add it to my Rye daily lineup.
Cheers!
I alternate between Bulleit and Michter’s rye in my cocktails…Old Fashioned, Sazeracs and Whiskey (Boston) Sours…Bulleit is my goto and Love it! Mahattens are a different story. I have not had luck…I dont know if it’s the sweet vermouth or what but no matter what i try they taste like someone dump whiskey in a cheap merlot…I know I’m doing something wrong. take care.