Review #428 - A. Overholt Monongahela Mash Rye
A new Jim Beam brand: A. Overholt, which will focus on rye whiskies, like Old Overholt. This old-style rye has its roots in Pennsylvania, though it's made in Kentucky now, because of the Beam Suntory ownership. It owes its name to Abraham Overholt, the man who managed the Overholt family's rye production as far back as 1810.
This modern version uses a mashbill of 80% rye grain and 20% malted barley - such a high rye proportion could surely lead to a spicy, herbal experience. They age the rye for 4 years, after which it's bottled at 47.5% ABV (95 proof); this mashbill has been dubbed the 'Monongahela Mash.'
A. Overholt Monongahela Mash Rye
USA - Rye
Price Paid: USD 40 (2024)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 40 (2024)
Age Statement: 4 Years
Strength: 47.5% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 4 months; bottles at 100% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), 50%, and 40% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: A wide range of scents: sweet and sharp, oaky and fruity. Brown sugar, nutmeg, and butterscotch add baking notes, while the rye grain adds mint, floral notes, menthol notes, and a decent amount of dill. We found sweet cherry, oranges, and pomegranate across out tastings, even a hint of stone fruit at times.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. It's warming and spicy, and rye takes center stage: soft pepper, spearmint, menthol, rosemary. Lots of baking flavors, too, like cinnamon, hot honey, clove, nutmeg, and vanilla. There are some sharper notes at the top of the glass: red pepper flakes, chili powder, and wood char.
Finish: Medium length in general, but a bit inconsistent across our tasting sessions. Flavors include hot peppers, dry starchy oak, dry herbs of dill and sage, but also sweet notes of cinnamon, honey, and stroopwafel. In the aftertaste, nutmeg, clove, and sugary vanilla linger.
Final Note: What an interesting whisky - the flavors were all over the place, depending on the day. Very inconsistent, but also fascinating: we found lots of rye spice, baking notes, fruits, sugars, and oak. This is one we would be happy to sit down with regularly, to see how it is changing.
Value is also very good - this rye is reasonably priced, around $40, and you get decent strength and lots of flavor. We would definitely recommend picking up a bottle if you get the chance.
Our Average Rating: 6.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.75
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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