Silver Springs Sweet Mash Rye
The Stats
- Producer: J.W. Kelly & Co.
- Location: Chattanooga, TN
- Type: Sweet Rye Whiskey
- Age: Distilled in 2018
- Proof: 123 (61.5% ALC/VOL)
- Mash Bill: 65% Rye, 15% Corn, 20% Malted Barley
- Barrel: 13378
- Barrel Type: #3 Charred Oak
- Release: Ongoing
- Price: $40
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Silver Springs Sweet Rye had our attention for a couple of reasons before we even tasted it.
First, it is a cask-strength rye with a pretty unusual mashbill: 65% rye, 20% malted barley, with corn making up the rest.
Second, it is around $40. That is not a combination you see very often anymore.
Then we poured it, and things got even more interesting because it doesn't really smell much like rye. Gingerbread, caramel, molasses, vanilla, baking spice. Very little of the pine, dill, or herbal character you might expect. The rye does eventually show up. It just takes the long way there.
The Whiskey Behind the Bottle
Silver Springs Sweet Rye comes from J.W. Kelly & Co. in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The whiskey was distilled in Kentucky and, according to the bottle information we had, aged and barreled in Chattanooga. Our bottle was a single barrel, bottled at cask strength, distilled in 2018, and came in at 123 proof.
The mashbill is 65% rye, 20% malted barley, and corn.
That 20% malted barley is what really caught our attention. It is a big enough percentage to potentially change the character of the whiskey, and after tasting it, we think it probably does. This is still rye, but it has a sweetness and richness that pushes it much closer to bourbon territory than we expected.
Tasting Notes
Aroma
Gingerbread was the first thing that really stood out to us. It has molasses, caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and toasted oak, plus a little citrus that reminded us of lemon with gingerbread.
It is sweet and very dessert-forward. What is mostly missing is traditional rye character. We didn't get much pine, dill, or anything especially herbal. If you poured this blind and only smelled it, rye probably would not be your first guess.
Taste
The first sip goes even further into the sweet side. Caramel is big here, along with chocolate and a creamy candy-bar quality. We eventually landed on Milky Way: chocolate, caramel, nougat, that kind of thing.
Then the rye starts coming through. Cinnamon, pepper, mint, and rye spice build as you keep drinking it, with a little orange and darker chocolate showing up along the way.
Finish
This is where the rye really takes over. The sweeter caramel and chocolate notes give way to cinnamon, pepper, mint, and spice. It hits pretty hard and then falls off faster than we expected.
That was probably our biggest criticism. There is a ton of flavor, but it isn’t especially smooth or polished. It can feel a little sharp and rough around the edges, and the pieces do not always come together perfectly. Still, it is anything but boring.
Artfully Bourbon Rating
7.5 / 10 - Good
There is a lot to like here. Silver Springs Sweet Rye is sweet, spicy, bold, and noticeably different from most rye we drink. The caramel and dessert notes pull it toward bourbon territory, while the cinnamon, pepper, and rye spice bring it back around on the finish.
It is not especially polished, and there are some sharper edges that keep it from scoring higher. But it has plenty of flavor and character, and for the price, it is very easy to enjoy.
Buy or Skip:
Buy
Speaking of price, this is an easy buy for us. Around $40 for a cask-strength, single-barrel rye with this much flavor is kind of ridiculous.
There is also the single-barrel factor. Another barrel could be a little better. It could be a little worse. But at this price, we are much more willing to take that chance.
If you like rye but also enjoy the sweeter caramel and vanilla side of bourbon, Silver Springs Sweet Rye is worth tracking down. And when this bottle is gone, we'll buy another.
Where Does It Rank?
Every whiskey we review is scored using the same 10-point scale, making it easy to compare bottles across styles, distilleries, and price points. Explore our complete whiskey rankings to see how every bottle stacks up.
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