My “Speed Tasting” continued with the clock ticking far too quickly! Two drams down… on to the 3rd with approximately 2-3 minutes to quickly rate according to nose, taste, finish, character & complexity.

What were my hasty impressions?

Pikesville 6 year 110 Proof Straight Rye 55%

• Nose – Took a few moments to calibrate from the earlier whisky as initial impression was varnish! Then over-ripe fruit. VANILLA – with a reason for ‘shouting’ as this was such a dominant note. Then eased into flowers. After more airing (during the revisit post speed tasting), the vanilla had faded and the nose shifted into something deeper
• Palate – Smooth, finally we found real body, other elements too, fruity, a bit nutty, clearly rye with a spicy chaser
• Finish – Quite a decent length, savoury and sweet spice
• Character & Complexity – The first to have some complexity, interesting

Quite a contrast from the earlier whisky, which was all sweetness in the end.

Most were confident this wasn’t Scottish and identified it as a rye. For a few, this was the 2nd highest rated dram of the bunch.

But was it outstanding? 2nd best in the world? Hmm…

And that was exactly the point of our “Speed Tasting” organizer, who mixed into our five mystery malts, Jim Murray’s top 3 whiskies for 2016.

Image Pikesvillerye.com

And what did Jim Murray have to say in his 2016 Whisky Bible about this dram?

• Nose 24.5/25 – Textbook. The fruitiness of the rye shimmers on the nose; a light spice tingles in Demerara rum fashion. Carry on nosing and you will, if patient and able enough, find unusual depths to which few whiskies reach. The tantalizing chocolate-liquorice at about three quarters depths is one of the aromas of the year;
• Taste 24.5/25 – After that nose, the delivery just had to be majestic. And it is. The rye grain fair rattles against the teeth, the sugars – crystalline, dark and tinged with both molasses and muscovado – help bring its salivating qualities to a maximum. Then those spices… those wonderful, bustling, fizzing spices…
• Finish 24/25 – A lovely mix between ulmo and Zambian forest honey keeps the sweetness lingering to the end. The rye, of course, continues to sparkle and spice its way to the last embers of the fade… which is a long way away… 
• Balance & Complexity 24.5/25 – The most stunning of ryes and the best from Heaven Hill for some time.

And the official Pikesville tasting notes?

Photo: Keshav Prakash

What were the other whiskies “Speed Tasted“?

• A – Hyde Single Grain Burgandy Finish 46%
• B – Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye 45% – Jim Murray’s #1
• D – House blend using left-over Glendronach 15 year as the base with Islay malts 
• E – Midleton Dair Ghaelach 58.7% – Jim Murray’s #3