American

Whiskey Review: J. Rieger & Co. 2023 Monogram Kansas City Whiskey Solera Reserve

We review J. Rieger & Co. 2023 Monogram Kansas City Whiskey Solera Reserve, aged in new American oak and finished for up to four years in 50-100 year-old oloroso Sherry casks.

OVERALL RATING

5
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Rieger’s 2023 Monogram Whiskey review

Tasting Notes

About:

Aged in new American oak and finished for up to four years in 50-100 year-old oloroso Sherry casks, 50% ABV, mash bill: undisclosed, SRP $130/ 750ml bottle.
Appearance:
This is moderate amber in color with a brown undertone.
Nose:
On first pour, the nose is sweet and caramel-forward. I pick up notes of snickerdoodle cookies with mini marshmallows, maple syrup, and graham crackers. The golden-brown-and-delicious notes start to fade within a few minutes. Since I tasted this blind, I was suddenly left wondering if I had mixed up glasses. This completely changed in the glass from bold caramel, to buttered popcorn, to sulfur and shoe polish. Revisiting a few days later, I found this to be profoundly impacted by the Sherry. It dominates layers of the aromatics, though suggestions of the base whiskey peek through occasionally.
Palate:
On the palate, this is moderate in body with moderate astringency and a fiery finish. The flavors are mostly from the Sherry: toasted pecans, oxidized apple core, yellow peaches, and toasted coconut. Sipping, the shoe polish note comes through again with light notes of orchard fruits, lemon zest, and golden raisins. The finish is long and lingering with notes of yellow plums, graham crackers, pencil shavings, and campfire smoke. Fortunately, the sulfur note has blown off after I allowed the bottle to sit undisturbed for several days. There was a thick swirl of precipitates in my sample bottle that settled to the bottom. Usually, I am not bothered by sediment, but this significantly altered the taste.
Finish:
Comments:
I love oxidized Sherry. I love whiskey. I loved Rieger’s Bourbon. I do not love this. Settling on a score for this bottling was particularly challenging. It rates high in complexity and length on the finish. Aromatically, it wavers back and forth between whiskey and Sherry. It’s fascinating, but I just don’t enjoy the combination of flavors.

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.

Suzanne Bayard

Suzanne Bayard struck out to the West Coast with her now husband almost a decade ago to explore the intersection of wine and policy in its world-class wine regions. She manages a Portland, OR bottle shop by day as the wine buyer and newsletter editor. She is also the Director of the Deep Roots Coalition, an organization of 30 Willamette Valley wineries that educate on and promote dry farming and sustainable practices. She joined the Whiskey Wash to explore two other passions: writing and whiskey.

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