After receiving a Castle & Key Restoration Rye Single Barrel from a friend in Chicago, I was intrigued to see how the Castle & Key entry level offering was. The single barrel offering was deep and robust, with lots of layered flavors. With a higher proof point than many standard offerings (coming in at 103), it would seem that this rye could have a lot of the same depth of the single barrel. So does show up like Wild Turkey 101 compared to Rare Breed, or do you have to go up scale with Castle & Key?
(This picture is from Christmas, when my wife was lovely enough to buy me a bottle)
Castle & Key Restoration Rye
- Release Year: 2022
- Batch: 2
- Bottle No.: 08303
- Proof: 103 (51.5% A.B.V.) (Annoyingly their website lists this as 105 / 52.5%)
- Mash Bill: 63% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, 17% Yellow Corn
Sight: Burnished to chestnut oloroso sherry
Smell: The nose has an orange zest and peanut note off the bat. It gives way to some lightly honeyed notes with hints of herbs, black tea, and pine. There’s heat suggesting that the proof has a little bit of tilt northward, and it gives away some spice and fruitiness. The fruitiness is almost artificial, like candy.
Sip: It’s lightly bodied, but doesn’t feel thin. Notes of pine and slightly yeasty notes come though with hints of spice and oak. The mix isn’t overtly sweet, but not quite savory, running a very straightforward line. Touches of herbal notes and fruit are very minimal but present.
Savor: The finish carries forward a light yeastiness with a good hint of oak and spice. There’s a little more of that black-tea herbal note, but things are pretty simple and straightforward.
Castle & Key Restoration Rye is characteristically rye like in it’s nose, but then doesn’t quite make the transition to the palate. While it’s a bit warm, it doesn’t quite pull up on the flavors the way a 103 proof might suggest. The flavors therefore end up being rye, but rye light.
In Cocktails
In a Manhattan Castle & Key Restoration Rye’s flavor shortage of the neat preparation carry forward a bit. The start is a little heavy on the oak and spice, and then opens slightly into black tea and dried fruits. There’s a subtle oaky bitterness here, and a bit of sweetness from the vermouth. The weight is good, but it feels let down by the some of the more aggressive herbal notes. It’s not a Manhattan I would reach for again.
In Review – Castle & Key Restoration Rye
Castle & Key Restoration Rye is just really not great at nearly $40. It tastes young and reflects this in the lack of depth of flavor. The proof doesn’t seem to translate into weight or flavor. All these things that add up to a bottle that’s pretty, but hard to recommend. There are better options in this price range, and for nearly half as much. If you must have their distillate, go for a single barrel rye.