Tumblin' Dice 13-Year Barrel Proof Rye Review

 

Dave Schmier has a long, storied history of plucking incredible barrels from distilleries worldwide. Dave started with MGP and never lost sight of it. Believe it or not, there was a time when so many naysayers rolled their eyes when yet another MGP-sourced whiskey hit the market. Some of those same people now swear up and down that MGP is fantastic. I’ve always found that worth a chuckle or three. 

 

Dave built his reputation by sourcing some of the best barrels MGP offered under his Redemption brand. After much success, he sold Redemption to Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. He took his winnings, rolled the dice again, and started Proof & Wood Ventures in 2015.

 

Today, Proof & Wood has grown to include several brands. One of its most popular is Tumblin’ Dice, where Dave does what he does best: betting on winners from MGP stocks.

 

And all of the above culminate in the subject of my review of Tumblin’ Dice’s 13-Year-Old Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey. Distilled from a mash of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and aged in new, 53-gallon charred oak barrels, it is bottled at its barrel proof of 52.96% ABV (105.92°). I appreciate Proof & Wood’s transparency. Most of what you’d want to know is easily discerned from the label.

 

I believe that, given the current market downturn, these older stocks are easier to acquire, as many brands that were sourced from MGP have fallen by the wayside. Dave has a knack for picking the cream of the crop, which means I have very high expectations for this expression. That leads to an important question: Am I being irrationally biased? 

 

We #DrinkCurious to answer that, but first I must thank Proof & Wood for sending me a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: MGP
• Age: 13 years
• Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 52.96% ABV (105.92°)
• Price per 700mL: $110.00

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to experience it neat. The whiskey had a tawny appearance and formed a medium rim with wide, syrupy tears.  

 

Nose: After waiting 15 minutes for the Rye to oxidize properly, I was ready to begin my nosing journey. It had that classic MGP 95/5 mintiness, along with fresh leather, sandalwood, cinnamon, cocoa, and apples. I had to double-check the apples because that’s so completely off-profile for any Rye, but yeah, that’s what it was. When I brought the vapor into my mouth, I found dark chocolate.

 

Palate: The first sip unveiled a creamy texture with a punch of ginger. The second revealed leather, cinnamon, and toffee upfront. My mid-palate pulled notes of rye spice, mint, and figs. The back featured dry oak, tobacco, and ginger spice.   

 

Finish: I felt a distinct drying sensation in my throat as I swallowed. It started with figs, which fell off almost instantly. What remained included dry oak, black tea, ginger, tobacco, and leather. Leather was the final note. Long and lingering, it ran a steady 1:41 and then vanished.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: There’s something about MGP’s barrel proof 95/5 rye mashbill that is undeniably captivating. They’re masters of their craft. Sure, there’s an occasional mediocre barrel, but for the most part, they’re solid, and I’m enjoying these older stocks.

 

Proof & Wood’s 13-year-old Barrel Proof Rye is no exception; make that exceptional! Unless you dislike mature Rye whiskeys, there’s nothing to complain about. It earns every bit of my Bottle rating. 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.