Whiskey Review: Njoy Spirits Wild Buck American Rye

Some nice candied ginger on the entry, but heavy oak as well, tight and astringent. There is a somewhat vegetal, tequila-like note that becomes more noticeable in the brief, tart finish. Not as fiery as the 100 proof would make you think, with the finish dominated by drying oak rather than alcohol burn. While I love to root for small craft distilleries, unfortunately Wild Buck Rye Whiskey just isn’t suited to my tastes. It’s very heavily oaked, almost to the point of unpalatability. That heavy oak camouflages much of the rye grain character, leaving just a few understated notes of bread crust and caramel to pick out from the lumberyard blast. As a small batch whiskey it’s possible I ended up with an off-barrel bottle, but sadly there is no batch or barrel information on the label. In any case, those who enjoy a ton of oak character in their whiskeys might like Wild Buck American Rye Whiskey a lot more than I did. I give the Njoy Spirts Wild Buck American Rye Whiskey a score of 75. You can pick up a bottle of it from online retailers for over $50 here.