Review of Niemuth's Southside Market Barrel Picks: RyeBon, Backbeat, and Fifth Wardses

 

Every now and again, someone requests that I review their store picks. Sometimes it is a friend with something they’ve found, sometimes it is someone with a podcast that has done their own pick, and then there’s the liquor store managers that are curious about my thoughts of whatever they’ve picked.

 

Today the latter occurred. We’ll explore three barrel picks from Niemuth’s Southside Market in Appleton, Wisconsin. Sean Wipfli is a long-time friend and manages the picks at Niemuth’s. He and I have done a handful of picks together, so we each have a good idea as to what the other looks for in selecting a barrel.

I have three samples, marked A, B, and C:

A.  Cat’s Eye Obtainium Bourye

B.  Still + Oak Bottled in Bond Single Barrel Bourbon

C.  Dirty Helen Split-Proof Bourbon

 

There are no special rules with regard to reviewing picks. Friendships and prior working relationships have no impact on my recommendations. They still must hold up to my strict standards. For the record, I’ve dinged a handful of picks from Niemuth’s. Others I’ve found incredible.

 

In other words, these are all no-strings-attached, honest reviews. The same as always. Let’s #DrinkCurious.

 

Cat’s Eye Obtainium Bourye

 

• Code Name: RyeBon
• Mashbill: A blend of MGP’s 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley Bourbon and 95% rye, 5% malted barley American Rye. It was blended and then casked.
• Age: 10 years, 10 months
• ABV: 49.8% (99.6°)
• Non-chill filtered
• $84.99 for a 750ml

 

Cat’s Eye Distillery is a microdistillery located in Bettendorf, Iowa and was founded by John Baker. The distillery is owned by Gene Nassif and Jason Baker. Cat’s Eye produces sourced whiskeys and rums from around the world under its namesake brand, Obtainium, Magi, and Nassif Family Reserve.

 

Appearance: A neat pour into my Glencairn glass revealed a whiskey with a true, orange amber color. The massive rim eventually discharged slow, thick tears.

 

Nose: The aroma included a heavy dose of oak, along with nutmeg, cherries, caramel, and milk chocolate. Inhaling through my lips brought pure caramel.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was soft and silky. On the front of my palate, there were cherries, ripe plums, and caramel. At the middle, that caramel morphed into molasses and was joined by rye spice and tobacco. Black pepper, oak, and mild chocolate were on the back.

 

Finish: The long finish gave plenty of oak without being overly dominant. I also found molasses, chocolate, rye spice, and plums.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: RyeBon is an unusual Bourbon-Rye blend. I’ve tasted several, both from Cat’s Eye and, of course, High West. I loved how it went from sweet to spicy and back to sweet. It was as if both components were engaged in battle. This is an incredible whiskey, and well-deserving of my Bottle rating.  

 

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Still + Oak Bottled in Bond Single Barrel Bourbon

 

• Code Name: Backbeat
• Mashbill: 67% corn, 22% malted barley, and 11% rye
• Age: 4 years in 53-gallon new, charred oak barrels
• ABV: 50% (100°)
• Non-chill filtered
• $51.99 for a 750ml

 

Still + Oak is distilled by Great Lakes Distillery out of Milwaukee. It is considered Wisconsin’s original distillery. Opened in 2004 by Guy Rehorst, and produces a diverse portfolio, including whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, brandy, absinthe, and others.

 

Appearance: A neat pour into my Glencairn glass showed a golden orange liquid which formed a thick rim and slow, widely-spaced tears.

 

Nose: I smelled cedar, nutmeg, brown sugar, cereal, and corn. Drawing the air into my mouth brought a blast of vanilla.  

 

Palate: Backbeat had an airy mouthfeel. I tasted caramel, brown sugar, and cocoa on the front, with cherries, tobacco leaf, and tea at mid-palate. The back consisted of bold oak, clove, and cinnamon spice.

 

Finish: Backbeat has one of those Energizer Bunny finishes. I timed it at nearly two minutes. It consisted of oak tannins, clove, cherries and cinnamon.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: For roughly $52.00, Backbeat is an interesting pour that gives a serious bang for the buck. That airy mouthfeel got my attention; there aren’t many 100° Bourbons out there that have one similar. I also enjoyed the cherry blast mid-palate and on the finish. I believe it deserves my Bottle rating.

 

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Dirty Helen Split Proof Bourbon

• Code Name: Fifth Wardses
• Mashbill: 67% corn, 22% malted barley, and 11% rye
• Age: 4 years in 53-gallon new, charred oak barrels
• ABV: 64.9% (129.8°)
• Non-chill filtered
• $59.99 for a 750ml

 

Dirty Helen is also distilled by Great Lakes Distillery. It is normally a barrel proof Bourbon named for a former Milwaukee sex worker, speakeasy operator, restauranteur, and saloon owner who called Al Capone, Liberace, Big Jim Colisimo, and Gloria Swanson friends.

 

In the case of Fifth Wardses, it is a split-proof Bourbon, meaning half the blend was Bottled-in-Bond and the other half was barrel proof.  

 

Appearance: I sipped this neat from my Glencairn glass. It was golden orange in color and created a fragile rim with fast, medium tears.

 

Nose: The nose comprised of raisins, brown sugar, vanilla, and toasted oak. Pulling the vapor through my lips, I found caramel.    

 

Palate: The texture was like an oil slick. It slid effortlessly down my throat. The front of my palate experienced nutmeg, vanilla, and brown sugar. At the middle, I tasted fennel, rye spice, and caramel. The back featured clove, cinnamon Red-Hots, and black pepper.

 

Finish: Medium-to-long in duration, the finish retained flavors of cinnamon Red-Hots, clove, black pepper, rye spice, and brown sugar.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Here’s the deal. I hate black-licorace flavors. That includes fennel and anise. Yet, it was a minor player that was short-lived in the tasting experience. I found myself forgetting about it and concentrated on the other notes. Blending the two proofs was an unusual experience and it seemed to have paid off. Fifth Wardses secures my Bottle rating as well. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.