Welcome back to Dice & Drams! The theme of this month’s pairing is color. I know, I know – color isn’t the first thing you think of when discussing whiskey. But in the case of this month’s pairing, the colors evoked by these two products are obvious enough that they became the theme. I hope you enjoy this pairing as much as I did!
The Pairing: Cedar Ridge Bottled-In-Bond Rye & Five Tribes
The Whiskey: Cedar Ridge Bottled-In-Bond Rye
Cedar Ridge, based out of Swisher, Iowa, has become a leading force in the craft whiskey scene in recent years. Over its twenty years of existence, Cedar Ridge has won several awards and become a highly recognizable brand. They were generous enough to provide me with a sample of their bottled-in-bond rye, one of their limited releases. This one was a treat!
The first thing I notice on the nose of this pour is fruit. This whiskey is incredibly fruit-froward, almost like nosing juice in a Glencairn. Pick a fruit and this nose had it – I found strawberry, peaches, cherries, and pear, all mixing together into a wonderful medley. I’m not sure I’ve smelled another whiskey with such strong fruit notes in the nose before – it’s a wonderful thing. This fruit is countered by a nice strong pop of rye spice, which is enhanced by the sweetness of the fruit notes. Finally, I also find some cinnamon mixed in there. This nose is very reminiscent of Red Breast to me, which I’ve loved for a long time…