Cooperstown Distillery Cooper’s Ransom Rye Whiskey

A little background

Cooperstown Distillery is located in Cooperstown, NY along with the Baseball Hall of Fame. They produce three different whiskeys-one bourbon, one blended American whiskey, and one rye. “Cooper’s Ransom Rye” is aged for two to three years in oak casks before being transferred to Cabernet Sauvignon barrels for at least a year to finish maturing. It’s is bottled at a Barrel Proof Strength of 102 Proof and has a retail price of around $45.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Burnished Copper

Nose

A sweet grainy note rises from the glass first, with a touch of ethanol heat that keeps you from diving too far into the glass. After a moment a grainy note mingles with a note of pan-fried plantains and spruce trees as the ethanol cools.

Palate

Touches down on the tongue in a manner that is surprisingly mild for 102 proof. The heat gently builds as you chew it, with notes of caramel, pumpernickel toast, and black pepper. The mouthfeel is mildly oily and pleasant-not sticky or thin.

Finish

A raisin note leads the finish, with a tingling heat that starts in the corners of the mouth and crawls forward along the edge of the tongue. The mouthfeel feels more oily on the finish than it did on the palate, with a note of salted butter holding onto the mid-palate to the end of the finish.

In closing

I really enjoyed Cooper’s Ransom Rye because it was well beyond the range of barely-legal ryes that I typically drink. With a mashbill of 80% rye, this whiskey packs plenty of flavor for those seeking a more rye-forward pour. The Cabernet Sauvignon finish adds a second layer of complexity to this pour that pulls it further off the beaten path. With that said, it’s a very balanced pour that was interesting and pleasant to drink. My only issue with this pour was the aggressive grainy note on the nose, which I imagine is a function of the age of this rye whiskey. With a price tag of around $45 I may not reach for it every day, however, I would keep it on my shelf at that price.