Lock Stock Straight Rye 20yr

Straight Rye 20yr from LOCK STOCK is a straight rye whiskey, a category that in the US means a mash bill of at least 51 percent rye, aged in new charred oak, with nothing added but water. The "20yr" in the name points to a long time in barrel. The details supplied don't include a proof, mash bill, distillery or tasting notes, so what follows describes what rye aged this long usually shows, not a measured profile of this bottle. Rye tends to read drier and spicier than bourbon. Expect black pepper, baking spice and a little dill or mint on the nose. Extended time in charred oak usually adds deep wood, toasted vanilla, caramelized sugar and some leather or tobacco. In older ryes the oak can be the loudest voice, so taste it before you decide how to use it. Start by pouring it neat. A Glencairn glass concentrates the aromas and lets you judge the oak against the rye spice. Then add a few drops of room-temperature water, which often loosens the wood and brings the grain forward. A rocks glass with one large cube also works if you want it slower and cooler. Ice dulls the aromatics, so keep it to a single cube and sip it soon after pouring. In cocktails, a Manhattan is the most natural fit. Use two ounces of rye, an ounce of sweet vermouth and two dashes of Angostura bitters, stirred and served up with a cherry, and the spice stands up to the vermouth. An Old Fashioned with a sugar cube, bitters and an orange peel shows the oak and pepper clearly. Be aware that a bottle with an age statement this long may be better spent on neat pours than on a Whiskey Sour or a highball, where citrus or soda will hide what the aging gave it. If you do mix it, keep the recipe simple. For food, dark chocolate, aged cheddar, roasted nuts or smoked meats go well with a dry, oak-forward rye.