Traverse City North Coast Rye Review

About – “This unique blend of two mash bills: 100% rye and 95% rye and 5% malted barley is barreled at 120 proof and bottled an 90 proof. This rye whiskey has a minimum age statement of three years and is the company’s newest addition to the whiskey line-up” This rye bares no age statement but is reported to come in at 3 years old. I can’t say for sure, but with the age I would assume that neither of the rye whiskeys use for this product are sourced. It is priced at $40.

Nose – Bright lemony citrus. I keep digging and there is a small touch of stone fruit behind that, but the lemon really carries the nose.

Palate – The lemon for the nose is leading the way into the palate as well. The rye is more prominent than on the nose showing up here as a light rye bread with a little bit of rye spice. The medium length finish is mostly rye grain

Score – C

Verdict – The flavors are enjoyable but light. There is nothing wrong with this whiskey it is really just lacking the maturity and depth that comes with time spent in oak. The lack of oak does make for a unique experience however allowing those bright lemon notes that would typically be overpowered by the oak shine through. Traverse City is doing things the right way and it shows with their product. All of the signs are there to indicate that they will be putting out some really good whiskey down the road when it has had time to mature.