Whiskey Review: Amador Rye Whiskey

Amador Distillery (not to be confused with Amador Whiskey Company) is a California-based distillery headquartered in Jackson, California. In addition to contract production of several other brands, including Corti Brothers and Rocket Vodka, they also produce a wide range of their own spirits, mostly bottled under the Engine 39 brand.

This particular whiskey, Amador Rye, is an earlier bottling from them prior to switching over to the Engine 39 label.

Whiskey Review: Amador Rye Whiskey

Vital Stats: This rye blend is made with whiskey sourced from Missouri, which is states plainly on the bottle. It is bottled at 80 proof. I’m unsure of the price point or mash bill. 

Appearance: It’s amber in color, and the legs made a lovely clamshell pattern on the side of my glass. 

Nose: Amador Rye smells warm and yeasty, like freshly baked bread. Sweetness is also pronounced with vanilla and oak scents. 

Palate: My first sip tasted like funfetti cake, silky and sweet. If it didn’t say it was a rye whiskey on the bottle, I would not have guessed, as it’s lacking that spiciness that some rye whiskeys have. Instead, this is more like a warm piece of marbled rye bread. It starts out smooth and sweet, switching up with some banana and vanilla flavors for the finish. I did enjoy the taste of this whiskey. However, if I picked up a bottle of this expecting a rye-heavy flavor, I would be sorely disappointed.