Mark Adams
Hudson’s Manhattan Rye is a long-overdue revival of a rye-making tradition that was deeply-embedded on America’s east coast before the advent of Prohibition. As with the Tuthilltown distillery’s other products, Manhattan Rye has been double-distilled and aged in small casks.
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Hudson Rye Whiskey Review:
Appearance
Hudson Rye is dark golden brown in color with shades of copper/bronze. It is rather translucent on the surface, with intricate swirls of light and dark. The nose is full of expressive aromas ranging from an abundance of rye, to a pinch of light corn and some light wood. The aromas are sometimes quite intense and evocative of chocolate, which is a bit surprising given the rye base.
First Taste
Upon first tasting, Hudson Rye is quite intense, aggressively warming, yet vibrant and complex. The aromas are rich and warming, dairy and corn, but also savory rye with a hint of orange. There is also an obvious orange oil flavor that contributes to the rye’s intensity.
Hudson Rye Whiskey Review:
Hudson Rye is very spicy, with intense pepper notes and a rich and complex rye flavor with herbal nuances. It carries a slight chemical burn and heat, evoking a rye experience as one might expect, though it is not overwhelming and the flavor is quite sweet and Christmassy. It is extremely well balanced, with a very light body and a finish that is spicy, oaky and something akin to Christmas and cinnamon spice. Some whiskeys have a tendency to taste harsh and unyielding, but Hudson Rye is perfectly balanced and fresh. It is very well-crafted and flavorful.
Midway through the Hudson Rye, my wife complains of a heat, but it is not coming from the rim of my glass. It is rather unwelcome, and though I still enjoy it, I am glad it is happening. I begin to contemplate a topping of honey or coca-cola and other such fluids, but I defer, knowing this whiskey will go great on a winter’s night with a side of toasted, albeit dry, bread.
Hudson Rye is a Christmas dram. It is a rye whiskey that is dynamic and complex both in the nose and in the palate. This is a whiskey that provides comforting and pleasant warmth and it goes wonderfully with food. The palate is dry and tasty and filled with vegetal and spicy layers of flavor and heat. It is expertly balanced and very enjoyable. I very much enjoy this whiskey, but the heat will have to be confronted before it can be embraced.
Hudson Rye Whiskey Review:
Tasting Notes: A fresh and robust Christmas dram
Tasting Notes: A fresh and robust Christmas dram Hudson Rye Whiskey is masterfully crafted and delicious, but it is ungainly and hard to drink. I find myself wishing for a honey or whiskey mixture to take the edge off, but the whiskey must be processed slowly and gently, lest one suffer a fire-hot unprepared sip. It is masterfully crafted and delicious, but it is ungainly and hard to drink. I find myself wishing for a honey or whiskey mixture to take the edge off, but the whiskey must be processed slowly and gently, lest one suffer a fire-hot unprepared sip.
Hudson Rye Whiskey Review:
Hudson Rye Whiskey is a beautifully crafted winter whiskey to enjoy with food or to drink in front of a roaring fire. Also, it professes to be a Christmas whiskey and so it must be taken to celebrate Christmas. So, enjoy a Manhattan Rye with a Christmas feast this Christmas and feel the warmth of a good whiskey.
I recommend keeping a bottle, as this whiskey deserves better treatment than its “hot and spicy” sales pitch. Hudson’s rye-making origins were among America’s oldest and most respected. Manhattan Rye is a resumption of one of America’s oldest and most respected names, and a far cry from the flavorless and predictable mass-produced ryes of today. I’ve had many ryes in my time, and I find Hudson’s Manhattan Rye far superior. give Hudson’s Manhattan Rye a whirl and you’ll be glad you did.
Hudson Rye Whiskey Review:
Hudson Rye Whiskey is an expertly crafted and delicious rye whiskey. It is full bodied and rich, but packs a surprisingly good punch due to the strong rye base. The aromatic complexity is not unexpected from the complexity of the barrel structure, but it is very well balanced and enjoyable. It isn’t an easy drink, but it is an enjoyable one. I recommend keeping a bottle, as this whiskey deserves better care than its “hot and spicy” sales pitch.
