By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
(Credit: Richard Thomas)
The full name for this bottle is 15 Stars Fine Aged Rye Founder’s Reserve, but most 15 Stars concoctions come with a tile of “Fine Aged” something. Another rye from 15 Stars is called First West. To simplify description and avoid confusion, I’ve dropped that part and zeroed in on the Founder’s Reserve.
The company has sourced this from distillers in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. The latter almost certainly includes MGP, if it is not strictly just MGP, and 15 Stars is known to be a Bardstown Bourbon Company client. Beyond that, little is known about their sourcing and nothing is disclosed beyond the state of origin. However, the whiskeys used were 8, 9, 13 and 14 years old, and the blend was bottled at 95 proof. This is a limited edition and it is unknown if the future holds more batched of Founder’s Reserve.
The Whiskey
I thought my pour took on a light amber appearance once it got into my glass, which is a hair darker than the usual copper or bronze coloring that most ryes have. The nose carried cinnamon, spearmint and melted table sugar in the main, with a solid note of musty oak. Sipping on Founder’s Reserve yields candy corn plus vanilla at first, before yielding to ginger and cloves, and then finally peppery wood. The finish was a modest surprise, as that peppery wood took a few steps and then turned over to butterscotch.
The Price
Officially, the bottle is $139.
