Templeton Rye...

Templeton Rye (40%): When Templeton first hit the market I remember liking it very much but then they lost me with their ridiculous ad campaign marketing their whiskey as "Al Capone's Whiskey of Choice". It is hard to believe that they thought it would be a good idea to use one of the most cold blooded killers of American history as a reference among all the other whiskey connoisseurs of 20th century. Really? Did really some people in their advertising agency think that we would buy this whiskey because some killer liked it back in time? Really? Anyway, as you can see I am still not over this issue but I promise I will be honest and fair about the juice in the bottle... Color: Light amber, lightly brewed black tea. Nose: Spruce needles you walk over on a hot summer day forest hike and resin gum on your hands. Quince paste with cloves, damp cardboard boxes you stumble over in the attic left there for years. Carpenter's shop with burnt rosewood and maple wood shavings. Palate: First hit is a slap in your face with an oak stave. Over baked, almost burnt gingersnap cookies and painfully bitter unnecessarily dark chocolate. It opens up shortly after with sweet raspberry marmalade and red gummy bear aromas. Yummy..! Black tea, eucalyptus leaves and wintergreen. Finish: The palate transforms slowly towards sweet floral honey notes and a little bit of white pepper dusting on top. Overall: It is one hell of a rye..! It's even better than I remember. The balance of sweet and spicy notes are as good as it gets. It is good in the glass as neat but would work also great in a classic Manhattan recipe. Highly recommended for rye whisky lovers even with its slightly high price tag for a no age statement whiskey. Sorry, I apologize returning back to the same topic but I am not going to be able to finish this review without making another comment about the company's awkward relation with the crime world: What the hell is that label supposed to tell us? What are these guys doing there? Is it supposed to be a gang from Prohibition era just before they hit the streets and start shooting people? I am very, very confused with this whole thing. I really don't get it...

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