American

Chocorua Straight Rye Whiskey

$55

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Chocorua Straight Rye Whiskey

by Nino Kilgore-Marchetti
February 15, 2024

Tasting Notes:

About:

Straight rye whiskey aged at least two years; distilled from a single crop of organic rye grain from Maine; bottled at 90 proof and priced at $55.

Appearance:

This rye whiskey sports a honey-golden color in the glass, showcasing light legs and a thinner viscosity.

Nose:

It’s very much rye forward on the nose, given the 100% rye mash bill. Fresh notes of rye spice, baked bread, honey, apricot, and a dash of cinnamon rise from the inside of my glass.

Palate:

Spicy and delicate with a nice bite is my summary of this one. It hits spot on for what one would want out of rye at this age, reflecting that spice and oak in tandem with some butterscotch, apricot, honey, and rye bread.

Finish:

This goes down simple and with a nice kick of spice, slightly tingling my back throat as it fades at a decent clip.

Comments:

That is exactly what you want for a younger rye that will stand well as a sipper or a good base for cocktails. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening with this expression, which is sometimes just what the whiskey doctor ordered.

Chocorua Straight Rye Whiskey review — We review Chocorua Straight Rye Whiskey, distilled from a single crop of organic rye grain from Maine in the sour mash style and aged at least two years. (image via Tamworth Distilling)

Editor’s Note: The party behind this whisky gave us a review sample. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review. It should also be noted that clicking the buy link in this review earns our site a small referral payment, which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.

Tamworth Distilling, operating in the quiet New Hampshire town of Tamworth, is the brainchild of Steven Grasse, the one-time brand creator of Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry Rum. Many expressions that emerge from Tamworth are offbeat, such as a green crab-flavored whiskey a few years back. Some more regular whiskeys are part of the portfolio as well, such as the Chocorua Straight Rye Whiskey I’m reviewing here.

Chocorua Straight Rye Whiskey has been one of the distillery’s most prominent spirits since its debut, serving as a backbone for Tamworth’s overall lineup. Made from a single crop of organic rye grain from Maine distilled in the sour mash style, this whiskey is run through a customized, 250-gallon copper still built by Vendome in Kentucky that’s outfitted with a brandy helmet, whiskey column, gin basket, and rectifying column.

Put down in 53-gallon white oak barrels to age for over two years, this straight rye whiskey is bottled at 90 proof and priced at $55. $1 of every bottle sold is donated to the Chocorua Lake Conservancy, a volunteer-led non-profit land trust founded in 1968 to protect the scenic and natural resources of the 931-acre Chocorua Lake basin in New Hampshire.

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