American

Whiskey Review: Bender’s Rye Whiskey (New York Batch)

We review Bender's Rye Whiskey (New York Batch), a craft release from California that blends sourced Canadian rye and corn whiskies before finishing in American and French oak.

OVERALL RATING

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Bender's Rye Whiskey

Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Medium-dark gold in the glass.
Nose:
At first sharp, and then very heavy citrus. Chlorine, lemon oil, and gingersnap cookies present initially, with a little opening time giving way to overwhelming citrus notes. After a considerable amount of time sitting in the glass, waxy vanilla sugar notes come through, with the initial sharpness still present. Reminiscent of a whiskey-scented candle a la Bed Bath & Beyond. transforms into citrus pith on the
Palate:
Incredibly sweet and syrupy, with little to no rye spice present. Slightly sharp and bitter, the citrus oil from the nose transforms into citrus pith on the palate. Corn syrup, Golden Grahams, graham crackers, and caramel dipping sauce. Although Bender’s has a slight bitter streak, the sickly sweet element of the spirit crushes all hope for balance. The palate is overwhelmed by too-sweet cereal notes. The finish is again tooth-achingly sweet. Soggy cereal sweetness remains on the palate a good deal longer than necessary. Conclusion: Bender’s NYC blend proves to be yet another valiant attempt to make a sourced spirit that speaks to the blender’s style. However, it is clear that in this case the dram ended up being over-finished and muddied. If there were any rye-forward elements to this spirit, they got eaten up by heavy wood sugars a long time ago. Truly not the worst craft whiskey out there, but one that seems to have been overwhelmed by a heavy hand in the finishing and blending process. FINAL SCORE: 70/100 [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE OF BENDER’S RYE WHISKEY]
Finish:
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Savannah Weinstock

Savannah Weinstock is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where her Environmental Studies thesis delved into the intersection of Scotch Whisky, sustainability, and the commodification of nature and culture. During her thesis research, she spent time living and studying in Glasgow, Scotland, visiting and interviewing distilleries across the country, with a particular focus on the Hebridean Isles. Savannah is currently immersed in the industry, gaining firsthand experience with whiskey, spirits, and cocktails on a daily basis.

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