Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey is “one of only three malted rye whiskeys made in the world” according to the distillers, but I can think of 3 others off the top of my head. High West OMG Rye, Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky and Highspire Rye. Admittedly Highspire is a new whiskey and they might not have updated their site in a while so I’ll give them a pass… for now. – As frequent TWJ commenter More Tears pointed out I suffered a massive brain fart (brain shart?) and the others in the market are “Corsair’s Ryemageddon (80% malted rye), Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey, and Five Fathers Pure Rye Malt Whisky from Old Pogue Distillery in Kentucky.”
The actual mashbill of Cedar Ridge Malted Rye hasn’t been disclosed, but per the TTB requirements it has to be made from at least 51% malted rye so we know that the mashbill at least starts there. We also know that this is a 100% rye whiskey and so up to 49% of the whiskey could be un-malted rye. While I don’t know the actual ratios, I do know that they produce a fairly tasty whiskey.
Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey Info
Region: Iowa, USA
Distiller: Cedar Ridge Vineyards
Mashbill: 51% (or more) Malted Rye, 49% (or less) Rye
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 43%
Price: $40*
Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey Review
EYE
Straw
NOSE
Rye spice, fruit, honey, vanilla and a bit of a wood shop character mixed with a hoppy bit of citrus. There is a Kool-Aid Bursts sweetness that haunts the nose and takes me back to the days when my lunch was carried to school in a blue Inspector Gadget lunch box.
PALATE
Bready rye, toffee, honeybutter on toast and fruity sweetness like a a bag of Gushers. This whiskey is taking me back to Elementary school and to be honest i’m not sure how I feel about a whiskey reminding me of the days when my underwear had superheroes on them… excluding present weekends that is.
FINISH
Medium fruity fade complimented with notes of rye bread with a bit of menthol.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium body and a soft unassuming feel.
OVERALL
Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey is decent. It’s not very complex, but it’s also not bad so it ends up being ok. The relatively small range of aromas and flavors presumably stem from its relative youth as it hasn’t had enough time-in-oak to coax out more bolder flavors and a broader range of subtleties. After writing up my notes I shared the rest of the sample I received with some friends so I didn’t get a chance to try it in any cocktails, but it has a certain something to it that I think would go really well in cocktails if the proof was kicked up to at least 50%.
I’m not a proof whore by any means, but when I’m using a whiskey for mixing I like it to be at least 50% ABV to prevent it from getting too diluted in the drinks. Cedar Ridge doesn’t have a massive distribution, but if you find some at a bar or something it’s unique enough that it’s definitely worth a try.
SCORE: 83/100
*Disclosure: This sample of Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey Review - Score Breakdown
Summary
Cedar Ridge Malted Rye Whiskey is an interesting and unique rye that’s great as a way to add some variety to your usual drinking routine. Definitely worth a try.
Overall
- Nose - 83%83%
- Palate - 83%83%
- Finish - 83%83%
- Balance, Body & Feel - 83%83%
Purchased some “Handcrafted. Small batches.”
Cedar Ridge Rye Whiskey from Trader Joes.
Loved it!!! (This Rye is different from the malted rye featured above) Found out the rye I bought was limited supply and each bottle was noted in hand writing of the batch number and bottle number. (I thought this was odd for such a large distributor like Trader Joes) Turned out this was one of the best Rye Whiskeys I have ever tasted…and it was $10 a bottle! I went to two trader Joes and bought all they had left, about 2.5 cases. This Rye is different than the one being reviewed above but really worth a shout out!
Super interesting and what a steal at $10. I’ve had the regular rye since writing this and it was quite nice, but at $10 it would be a hell of a deal. These guys keep getting better, that’s for sure. Cheers Mitchell.
Hi Josh. Lot No. 40 is made from 90% un-malted rye and only 10% malted rye. Since High West OMG Rye is a white whiskey I am not even sure the TTB recognizes it as either “rye whiskey” or “rye malt whiskey” (the TTB definitely makes that distinction). (Have you noticed how High West has designed their labels so they can avoid EVER actually putting the words “rye” and “whiskey” together? It is always things like “High West Whiskey — Double Rye!” or “High West Whiskey — Rendezvous Rye.” Both of those products are classified by TTB as “blends of straight rye whiskeys,” so the TTB would probably object to labels saying “High West Double Rye Whiskey” and “High West Rendezvous Rye Whiskey.”) However, three rye malt whiskies I can think of are Corsair’s Ryemageddon (80% malted rye), Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey, and Five Fathers Pure Rye Malt Whisky from Old Pogue Distillery in Kentucky.
Hey Moretears,
When you’re right you’re right and you… you’re right. Chalk this up to being lazy after several brutal weeks at work, a fried brain from the same or a combo of the two, but I wa sjust thinking malted rye in the mashbill and not 51% malted rye and I also spaced the awesome Old Potrero completely! – Updating the post.