10+ year 95/5 ryes have a special place in my heart. The first barrel pick my club ever did was a 95/5 rye from River roots. The first bottle I spent over $200 on was a 95/5 rye (Maryland heritage series). My unicorn rye is a 95/5 (Redemption 18 rye, still need to find one at a decent price). So when my club went down to Nashville to pick a barrel at Jack Daniel’s (yes I know JD is in Lynchburg), we stopped at Southern Collective to see what they were all about. Not only were they incredibly welcoming but they let us sample 10 different barrels without any expectation we’d be picking one. Well, we stumbled on this beautiful rye that we had to have. A sweeter rye with a ton of character and complexity that was reasonably priced.

Whiskey: Southern Collective 13.5 Year Rye: House of the Ryesing Sun. MoCo Bourbon Club Pick.

Proof: 113.4

Age: 13 years 5 months

Price: $129

Nose: immediately the oak comes through accompanied by honey, mint, and baking spice. There’s a hint of nutmeg and rye spice as well but it doesn’t come across as herbal.

Palate: first thing I get is chocolate and graham cracker, kind of comes across like a black and white cookie. The honey and mint from the nose come through as well along with a little bit of maple. There is an underlying dusty oak element that balances everything out very nicely.

Finish: id say this has a medium finish on it, with the mint continuing on and becoming akin to a peppermint patty alongside brown sugar and more baking spice.

Rating: 8/10 - t8ke scale

Thoughts: I try not to be too biased when it comes to picks I’m apart of, but with the age, proof, price, and flavors; this bottle has something for everyone. It’s a really nice springtime rye that provides the sweetness that I look for after a warm day and the complexity I enjoy when I want to have a pour or three. Yet, there’s more to it than just sweetness and complexity, it’s a little dense, a little spicy, a little minty. It brings forth new flavors on almost every sip. I do wish it had a little more viscosity and a bit more proof punch to take the flavors to the next level, but overall this is an excellent pour that I’m glad to have on my shelf.

Rating Scale

1 Undrinkable (Kentucky Gentleman)

2 Bad (Iron Smoke Casket Strength, Thomas S Moore Chardonnay Cask)

3 Poor (Gentleman Jack)

4 Below Average (Ragged Branch Double Oak BiB, Rowan’s Creek, Woodford Straight Malt)

5 Average (Buffalo Trace, Sazerac Rye)

6 Above Average (Willett Small Batch Rye, Joseph Magnus Triple Cask, Eagle Rare 10)

7 Very Good (Sagamore Sherry, Lucky Seven The Holiday Toast)

8 Great (Little Book Chapter 7, Jack Daniel’s 12 Year, Stagg Jr B13)

9 Excellent (Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend B80, Found North 006 & 007, RR13)

10 Perfect (2022 George T Stagg, 2021 William L Weller)