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Never Say Die Rye Whiskey Review

Named after a champion horse, Never Say Die Rye offers a bold and flavorful profile with notes of stone fruit, rye spice, and a remarkable full-bodied finish. Distilled and matured in Kentucky, it leaves a lasting impression with its unique taste.

OVERALL RATING

8
$75
  • Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant with over a decade of experience in whisky retail and online whisky education. Best known for hosting Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, he is dedicated to making whisky accessible and enjoyable by cutting through jargon and complexity.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Named after a champion horse that won against all the odds, this is a Kentucky Rye Whiskey that was distilled and matured in Kentucky before being transported and bottled in the UK.

Having a mash-bill of 56% rye, 33% corn and 11% malted barley, this a very tasty and bold style of rye that doesn’t need to by heavy on the rye grain to deliver huge amounts of flavour.
Appearance:
Caramelised Sugar
Nose:
This smells excellent! Loads of plum and stone fruit notes with caramelised sugars and classic spicy rye. I get crumble topping with loads of rolled butter and sugar, plus freshly baked buttery things – Croissants and maple and pecan swirls. The pecan and maple notes are really delicious, contrasting the rye spices very nicely.
Palate:
Buttery and silky texture with fresh oak and rye spice filling in the empty spaces. More of those stone fruit and barrel spice notes with some herby notes making their way through. Classic rye, you get some rosemary and sage spices, and some Christmas spices of thing like nutmeg, cinnamon and tonka bean.
Finish:
The finish is full of fruit, oak and espresso. Wonderful bitter coffee notes that add to the warming nature of the finish. At the strength this has all of the flavour and quality you’d want in a rye of this style. It’s full bodied, spicy, bitter, fruity and the very end of the finish is full of dark chocolate and toasted brown sugar notes.
Comments:
This is wonderful, I really, really enjoyed this. Rye is something that’s been missing from my cabinet at home for a while, but this has made quite a lasting impression on me. It’s got everything you want from a rye, plus some unique flavour points that the folks at Never Say Die are clearly looking for when it comes to great liquid.

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.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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