A little background

Three Chord Amplify Rye Whiskey is distilled from a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mashbill. It’s a 3-year old blend that has been sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. The retail price for Three Chord Amplify Rye is $39.99, making it a moderately-priced rye. The distillery uses an interesting method to age their whiskey called tonal vibrations. This method was instilled by their master distiller after he saw a drink vibrating on top of a guitar amplifier.

(Tasted neat from a Halo Glass)

Color

Light Straw

Nose

The nose is extremely young. There is little complexity, with the most outstanding notes being wet grass, rye spice, and black cherry.

Palate

The mouthfeel is very thin. The most outstanding flavor that sticks on the palate throughout the sip is rye spice. Ethanol, oak, and an herbal note come in in an attempt to balance out the flavors, but it falls short. The short aging period may be to blame for the lack of depth and complexity.

Finish

The finish is short, bready, and sweet. There is not a whole lot of flavor on the finish either.

In conclusion

Three Chord Amplify Rye Whiskey wasn’t something I was I was overly impressed with, especially considering the price. I think this whiskey is headed in the right direction, but it’s just not quite there. More and more great rye whiskies are finding their way to the shelves, many of which are at or below the price of Amplify Rye. This whiskey is headed in the right direction, but different aging methods and/or lengths may need to be applied before it can be more enjoyable and warrant the $40 price tag.

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Three Chord. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.