Got bored one day and picked up a rye and a bourbon a few months ago. Made a swap a bit ago and went whole hog on trying out scotch and ryes and a bit more bourbon.
Catoctin Creek Distillers Edition was the first foray. Quite enjoyable at 46%, spice rounded out with barrel sweetness. Enough to try some others!
Whistlepig 10 year old was either the second or third but remains memorable for being quite unbalanced. The mint and grass come off harsh and green, very in your face and without nuance. Probably just a style thing
Wilderness Trail Barrel Pick Rye is full cask strength and needs just a bit of water to tame it at over 60% abv. However even at full strength the complexity and balance is there in spades. Has a weight and depth that outdoes all the others so far. A beauty of a beast
Willet Straight Rye is marked as cask strength too and is gorgeous, mixing in a layer of fruit that none of the others have. Aromatically quite complex in the green, sweet, and floral ranges. Then a palate that’s plenty thick and loaded with subtle fruit, spice and vanilla. Different but on the level of the WT. call it a tie.
Wild Turkey Rye 101 and Sazerac Rye are fantastic for low $30s, basically half the price of the Willet and Wilderness Trail bottlings.
Have a few more to try in the coming months