Pinhook‘s Vertical Series of Tiz Rye Time got started in 2020 when the whiskey was just 4 years old, and every year since an older expression has dropped. That’s how time works, y’all.
We’ve seen Tiz Rye Time as a 4, 5, and 7 year old — and now it’s out as a 9 year old. The series was supposed to terminate when the whiskey hits 12 years old in 2028, and presumably Pinhook runs out of juice, but it was recently extended and will now run until it’s a 16 year old in 2032 — presuming we are all still living by then.
Tiz Rye Time 9 years old is a blend of just 20 of the initial 450 barrels of 95% rye/5% barley sourced from MGP. You’ll note the proof level has risen considerably since our coverage of the 7 year old. The character of the whiskey is also evolving quite a bit, too.
Let’s dig in!
Pinhook Tiz Rye Time Rye Vertical Series 9 Years Old 2025 Review
Tiz Rye Time is finally finding its footing. Herbal as all get-out, the whiskey is coalescing into a something more cohesive and distinctive, showcasing notes of marzipan, honey, and mint alongside its powerful — and very fresh — green herb notes. Dill is dominant, but sage and rosemary play underneath, creating a bit of a Thanksgiving stuffing quality, while more enigmatic baking spice notes linger in the background.
The palate is immediately laden — heavily — with dill, though there’s plenty of sweetness to counterbalance it. It’s a big slice of German rye bread, buttered, toasted, and slapped down alongside some sauerkraut and caraway seed. Bready and bracing, the palate doesn’t evoke quite as much nuance as the nose suggests, though elements of sweet pipe tobacco and black cherry push their way to the surface, eventually informing a finish that is otherwise layered with spearmint and barrel char. With time in glass: black tea, sweetened with coconut nectar and maple syrup.
There’s an intensity in this rye that is lacking in much of the mass market — and for some it’s so powerful that it may come across as overwhelming. I’m of the mind that it straddles the fence well, though it’s hard to imagine where this intense and punchy whiskey could possibly go from here. I guess we’ll see.
110.2 proof.
A- / $90/ pinhookbourbon.com
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