Review: Lock Stock & Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey Vatted and 21 Years Old
We haven’t looked in on Cooper Spirits’ Lock Stock & Barrel (LSB) line of rye whiskey in quite a while. Since our last taste of their 16-year-old rye release, the brand has produced several even older expressions along with a blend, dubbed Vatted, that, in addition to featuring non-Canadian ryes, serves as a more entry-level offering compared to the increasingly pricey, age-stated releases. Packaging appears to have also shifted from the vintage-look labels to all-black with gold accents. While sexier, I’m not sure it stands out better on a shelf.
Here, we’ll explore the new Vatted along with LSB’s oldest age-stated release to date. As a reminder, Lock Stock & Barrel’s age-stated offerings are drawn from pot-distilled, 100% rye whiskey that has been sourced from Canada’s Alberta Distillers. The newer Vatted expression is a blend of five distinct rye whiskeys from Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, and Alberta aged between 8 and 16 years.
Lock Stock & Barrel Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey (Batch 2024) Review
The nose is inviting and warm with a nice balance of oak and grain. Top notes of clover honey and vanilla taffy add a welcome sweetness to more dry and herbal undertones of wintergreen, sage, and a bit of lavender. There is plenty of dusty baking spice in the mix, as well, which seems to dry things out a bit as it opens in the glass, but a lacing of light brown sugar and butter mints manages to preserve just enough sweetness.
On the palate, that sweetness is similarly elusive, woven tightly into the fabric of a rustic and wood-driven rye. Things start off rather savory with brown butter and heavily caramelized sugars, more sorghum or dark treacle than classic brown sugar. Sweeter light caramel and nutty praline pecan notes arrive on the midpalate along with brighter green tea and some minted syrup. It’s an easy sipper that simmers with soothing notes of white pepper and a little peppermint oil.
The finish delivers a flourish of butterscotch, the sweetest element yet, before fading into a round, silky conclusion of freshly baked rye bread, molasses, and licorice. It’s an impressive mix of well-aged rye, a departure from LSB’s Alberta-only offerings that delivers a welcome approachability and depth of flavor.
100 proof.
A- / $86 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Lock Stock & Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey 21 Years Old Review
Distilled in May of 1999, this whiskey is reportedly the oldest commercially available rye currently on the market. Be that as it may, the climate in Alberta ages whiskey differently than in Kentucky or Indiana. From nosing alone, I probably wouldn’t guess that this whiskey spent 21 years in barrel (or 26, depending on when this was bottled), but some of its age is evident in a more wood-forward aroma compared to the 16-year-old. It’s no oak bomb though. Top notes of dark caramel, toffee, and chocolate mints are silky and gently sweet. A bit of black tea arrives with time in the glass, the only real hint of that extra age. It’s a somewhat simple bouquet but a pleasant one, nonetheless.
The palate reveals more of the label-stated maturity with early, punchy notes of oak and barrel char, but the astringency is short-lived, giving way to a round, brown sugar sweetness and a vibrant mix of baking spice, heavy on the clove and ginger. A big vanilla note is laced throughout, initially showing as sticky bean and then overcooked marshmallow on the midpalate. Toasted coconut and a hint of orange marmalade on the finish are the only signs of sweet fruit, but they add some welcome complexity to a finale otherwise dominated by toffee and allspice.
Like the 16-year-old expression, this is an enjoyable and straightforward rye with the only real surprise being how effortlessly it seems to wear its age. Still, that distinction doesn’t translate into an exceptionally unique drinking experience. And for this kind of money, I expected a little bit more.
111 proof.
B+ / $500 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
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