Traverse City Whiskey Co. has scored very high here on The Liquor Authority. Today we review their North Coast Rye which is a blended rye of American Rye and Straight Rye Whiskey. Made in small batches, and our review bottle comes from Batch No. 007. Feel free to insert any James Bond jokes you may have here. We were sent samples which has no affect on our final score, but we should point out we have since purchased multiple bottles from this distillery.
Bourbon Review: Traverse City Whiskey Co. North Coast Rye
ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
Type: Rye
Age: 3+ Years
Color: Dark Amber
Mash Bill: Blend of 95% Rye 5% / 100% Rye
Distillery: Traverse City Whiskey Co.
Location: Traverse City, MI (USA)
The Nose: The Rye from Traverse City Whiskey Co. serves up hints of mint, rye and a lemon. Each element of the aroma doesn’t stand out about the other creating a nice harmony enticing us to take a sip.
Tasting Notes: Featuring a long rye finish the initial tasing note is oak and caramel sweetness. A secondary sip reveals addition notes of butterscotch, dill and a very subtle apricot. The rye finish tends to wash out the other aspects from the North Coast Rye.
The Pairing: The AVO Caribe is something I’ve often enjoyed with rum. It serves up notes of plum, earth and citrus with a moderate finish of spice. Our pairing changes things up considerably on the Rye toning down the rye finish. The cigar helps bring out notes of caramel and butterscotch giving the libation an added dimension of sweetness. As always our pairing is not reflected on the final score. If it did though it would raise the total by 2.
Conclusion: This is a distillery more people should know about but I suspect word will spread. Everything I’ve tried from the Michigan based company has been extremely enjoyable. While the North Coast Rye lacks a bit of complexity it does deliver an excellent Rye experience that I highly recommend.
Score: 93
Price: $34.99 (750ml)
