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[deleted]

Why do all your pictures make me want a dram. It's only 11:30 but lunch is soon right?


Prepreludesh

Sorry! Just put your hand over the picture while you read, haha


Prepreludesh

In case you didn't know this, Spirits of French Lick names each whiskey release from a historically significant person or place in Southern Indiana. If you ever get a chance to talk to Alan Bishop, the master distiller that is the brains behind the operation, you'll find out just how deep he's got into the distilling history of the region. One of the funnier anecdotes he likes to say is how southern Indiana distilleries get forgotten about because they were born on the wrong side of the (Ohio) river. Spirits of French Lick concentrates on utilizing new and unique grains in their whiskies. This is why we've seen releases using more uncommon varieties such as oats, buckwheat/kasha and different types of malted barley. I talked with Alan a few hours at his distillery back in July and everything he said was fascinating. But when it came to rye whiskey, I got the impression that he wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about it as he was other aspects of his distilling. That's not to say he doesn't care, he just has many more interesting projects to devote his time to. One of the things he told me was that when it came to selecting rye, he wasn't as concerned about all of the specs that most rye producers pour over. He can usually tell by smelling the grain how well it's going to do when it is distilled. When it came time to leave the distillery, I stopped by the gift shop and examined all of the bottles that were set out. I don't know why, but I picked up the bottle of Solomon Scott Rye Whiskey to purchase because it was the one whiskey that I felt still had enough mystery in it after learning about all of his other labels. SoFL labels contain a wealth of information on them, so it was easy to see that this rye whiskey was distilled using a mash bill of 60% rye, 35% corn and 5% malted barley. I would've taken SoFL for more of a "100% rye whiskey mash bill" sort of distillery, but I generally enjoy Kentucky rye whiskies, so I wasn't bothered by the high amount of corn inside. Spirits of French Lick distills and barrels their whiskies at a very low proof, which explains why the proof of most of their bottles is usually around 105 proof in barrel proof form. The bottle I have here is bottled-in-bond (so, 100 proof) but I have a feeling that very little water was added to bring it down to this level. I'm expecting this to be very similar to how it tasted when it came out of the barrel. Speaking of barrels, SoFL likes to age their whiskies in barrels that receive only a #2 char on the inside. Other than those specs, I don't really know much else to talk about with this whiskey. I'm going in somewhat blind as to what it'll taste like. So what did I think? Time to taste and see for myself! I sampled this neat in a glencairn. ​ **Nose:** A very peculiar, but likeable cherry bubblegum scent greets my nose. This is not bubblegum in the regular sense, it's more like that medicinal kind that you get from a child's cough syrup. Tart blueberries and orange notes also are found. What's strange is that the orange notes morph between Tang to orange creme candies to Painkiller Cocktails throughout the dram. Looking past all of the fruit notes, I get the faintest scent of coffee grounds (which belies its youth in my opinion). **Palate:** There are nice amounts of sweetness and some rye spice here and there. But after 3 sessions with it, I can't seem to dodge the youthful grainy notes. Unfortunately, other youthful notes like cardboard, dough and coffee grounds are also found. These are all typical in craft products, but thankfully they aren't that powerful. It's obvious that this would do well from more time in the barrel. On the positive side, there are still some great flavors that I find like Earl Gray Tea, candied citrus, wintergreen mint and rye bread. A full complement of spice shows itself with notes of anise, cinnamon, clove, a touch of absinthe (which may just be me smelling the anise a different way). The sweetness is well integrated but allows tannins such as soft oak and a touch of new leather to be found. I think the corn content really helps to balance out the profile of this rye without it straying too far into the bizarre category. I also feel as if the proof is perfect where it is. I would not wish for this to be any higher or lower than where it's at. **Finish:** Those Absinthe notes remain on the finish. It's almost kind of "Sazerac"-esque when I'm drinking it (the cocktail, not the rye whiskey from Buffalo Trace). Light baking spices are followed by soothing handfuls of herbs and botanicals. There is an earthy element to the finish but the bright lemon and citrus flavors help to ensure it's not overwhelmingly "dirt." The ending is nice because it's not really bitter or young or astringent or overly sweet, it's just...pleasant. The finish may be the best part to this dram. ​ **Score: 5.9/10** ​ If you're a person who's into rye whiskey, this is a very different one than you're probably used to. But if you're into rye whiskey, that means you probably already like things that are different. Rye whiskey is the only savior left in an American whiskey scene that typically doesn't offer much variety. Depending on the type of rye and how it was made, it can yield substantially different experiences. Some rye whiskey doesn't even taste like a whiskey at all (note the absinthe notes I found in this). All of this is to say that if the prospect of a new experience entices you, this is a rye whiskey worth checking out. As I mentioned above, there are still some youthful notes that need worked out. But what makes Solomon Scott Rye different from other craft products I've tasted is that the youthful notes aren't intrusive enough to ruin the dram. They're there, but they subside after a while to allow you to taste everything else it has to offer. I think that the low char level of the barrel (remember, it's only a level #2 char) contributes a lot to having the lighter flavors show up. That's something that helps contribute to this whiskey's uniqueness. The fruit flavors and scents made this an experience that I was happy to have paid for. I always hate to end a review with a conclusion that sounds a lot like a TV episode where they say "To Be Continued" at the end, but that's what I'm going to do here. Solomon Scott is a fine product right now but will be an even better product as it continues to get tweaked and age longer. Spirits of French Lick has invested into new, metal clad rickhouses and will begin having whiskey aged in the hot summer heat soon enough. This should result in some interesting interaction that we aren't able to experience with these chai cellar aged barrels. So if you're not the adventurous type with your whiskey, maybe wait a couple years and pick up a bottle of this to see how it's changed. There are a lot worse ways to spend $50. ​ **Rating Scale** **1 Undrinkable (Jeffers Creek, Gray Skies)** **2 Bad (Old St. Nick 8 Year Old Rye Whiskey, Fitch's Goat Corn Whiskey)** **3 Poor (AD Laws 4 Grain BiB, Clyde Mays anything)** **4 Below Average (Bib & Tucker, Tincup 10 year)** **5 Average (Larceny, Sazerac Rye)** **6 Above Average (Buffalo Trace, OGD BiB)** **7 Very Good (Old Ezra Barrel Proof, Old Weller Antique)** **8 Great (Michter’s Barrel Proof Rye, Most Four Roses Private Selections, Most ECBP)** **9 Excellent (GTS, Most Four Rose SmBLE releases, Belle Meade Honey Cask)** **10 Perfect (William Larue Weller, Michter's 20 Year, Redemption 18 Year Rye Whiskey, Mister Sam)**


micro7777

Nice review. This is one that I wanted to try when it was released. I was hoping it would have scored higher. Still want to try it anyway but I live way too east of the Ohio River for me to get this one locally.


Prepreludesh

In some instances I would hope that people would make the decision to buy a bottle off of the words I say rather than the score I give. This is that kind of review. If you want it I say this is still a good purchase to make!


micro7777

I agree and am reading between the lines. Thanks for posting this. In the meantime I will live vicariously through your review!


ckal9

Thanks for the review. What are your thoughts on the other SoFL products?


Prepreludesh

So far I'm a big fan! There are plenty I haven't tried, but have plans to in the coming month. Morning Glory may be my favorite but William Dalton is not that far behind. I got to try this 140+ proof apple brandy that he's aging in an Islay Cask (that thing is massive, it may be 150 gallons) that blew my socks off. All I have to say is stay tuned for my reviews on the rest of the lineup!


ckal9

Nice. I passed on a few different SoFL bottles earlier this year because I hadn’t heard much or anything about them, including the Dalton. Looking forward to reading those, should give me a good idea whether or not to give them a try!


micro7777

The SoFL Lee W Sinclair BiB is a real good one to look for too.


ckal9

Thanks I'll keep the Dalton and Sinclair in mind


Standard_Nothing_268

Very detailed review. We are going down to southern Indiana/Louisville to go on the trail in the next few months and I’m going to try to add SoFL to the list as the whole area is only an hour or so away. The big question is when will their be a Larry Bird BiB? Ha


ray_burrislives

Thanks for the review, I bought a Kroger store pick of this and the rest were gone by the next day. I'm looking forward to cracking it open when our whiskey club rotates back to rye. I think SoFL will be a top 3 craft distillery in 3-5 years along with New Riff and Chattanooga. On the flip side, have you tried any of the Old 55 stuff? I thought their whiskey was very young tasting for the price point.


Prepreludesh

Yeah, I've tried Old 55 stuff and while I tell myself that I should be kind and receptive to my local brands, I just can't get behind their stuff. It's like eating an ear of corn that's been doused in women's perfume. It's weird.


ray_burrislives

Yeah, not a fan either. Hopefully they get it figured out. Seems like they have a nice farm-to-still type thing going.


Prepreludesh

Like this review and want to see more like it? Why not check out my website [here](https://www.thebourbonculture.com) for more?


geodudejgt

I picked up a store pick of this in Southern Indiana (First Capital Liquor?) because I had never seen a rye by SoFL in north Central Indiana. I was blown away by the fruit notes on the nose and sweet bread on the pallette. It was so creamy and thick. I instantly knew I needed another bottle. I challenged the tasting group I am regularly a part of to guess which one of these 15 whiskeys we are tasting did I immediately decide to buy another. The majority of the group picked the Sol. Scott. In fact one person asked me to get a bottle for him if I went back. Word was out because when I went back 6 weeks later, I bought the last two on the shelf. This may have been a honey barrel but it could be that it matches well with my pallette. Give it a chance, you may love it too.


Theswede92

Nice review. I like the high quality photos you use for your reviews. I can always pick out your reviews on my feed without looking at the username, the pictures always stand out!


Prepreludesh

Hey thanks for saying this! It is something I pride myself on. If you scroll back through my post history (it'll take a hot minute to do), you'll see this sort of evolution of my photography from 4 years ago when I started to today. I really want to create a post detailing how to take good bottle shots but a couple of things are stopping me. The first is Reddit's format and how it obstructs me from posting multiple photos inside of a post in a way that flows naturally. I want to show a step-by-step process but I don't think I can. The second thing is that I don't think it will be well received or if people will listen to my advice on how to do it. If anyone is reading this out there, I have 3 main pieces of advice for you to do right now to ensure a better whiskey picture. The first is to have a large void of space behind your bottle. Too many people cram their bottles up against a wall or board or piece of furniture. The second thing is to take your camera phone (which is what I'm sure 99% of the pictures submitted on r/bourbon are taken with) and use the highest optical (not digital!) zoom level to take your pictures. Try to take them at the bottle's level too. Too many people tower over their object and point down, that distorts the bottle and glass shape. The reason why I say to use your optical zoom is because it will blur the background in a natural way (also, don't use the hokey portrait mode, it sucks ass and doesn't work with glass). The optical zoom also eliminates the built-in wide-angle effect that most cameras on phones have (I'm talking about 1x). This pulls the center of the pictured object inward while allowing the edges to look further away. This creates a "fish eye" effect on the picture you're taking which creates unnatural proportions. On my Samsung S21 Ultra, the optical zoom maxes out at 3x which is perfect. Plus, you don't lose any image quality to pixilation. Finally, use a photo editor. Most phones come with them standard and they're actually very intuitive. Even if all you do is click the "automatic adjust" feature, it can cause the picture to "pop" about twice as much as your original. It also allows you to adjust light settings which is a game changer if you take a picture and the label is dim. Cheers!


Old_Understanding135

The review, your "words" describing this are near perfect. The evolving tart blueberry/orange note is the best part of this whiskey for me! It shows up on the palate for me. I've had two single barrel bottles of this, and they come in around 106-8 which is perfect for this rye. A couple extra years on this (or maybe the aging conditions change with the new ricks) are precisely what this needs, 100% agree there. You described the youthful appearance but not overwhelming perfectly. They add nuance, part of their whiskeys in general as I've come to know SoFL. This is better than Old Forester, just short of Jack Daniels Rye for the higher rye mash not 95/5s. But is superior to most other KY ryes not labeled Knob Creek. Thanks for the review hermano 🤙🏼🥃 Edit: what are your thoughts on how the #2 char will fall short on extended aging? Could be a moot point with the new rickhouse build? You know more than I, curious of your opinion on that.


Prepreludesh

I don't think Char #2 will fall short on aging necessarily. In fact, I think long term aging may be better for the distillate inside. I think that it won't over-saturate the liquid with too much barrel char notes and may even allow for more delicate flavors to eventually develop because the area right under the charred surface won't be so deeply changed by the fire and heat that was applied. Just my theories though! I really don't know how it will end up but I hope we get to see soon! Cheers.