Limousin Rye - Aged 6 Years - Stillman's Private Stock - Port Finished
$60
Limousin Rye – Aged 6 Years – Stillman’s Private Stock – Port Finished
Batch: 6716
Proof: 102.8
Age: At Least 6 Years
Distillery: Finished and Bottled by Dancing Goat – Sourced from MGP
Type: Rye Whiskey (Limousin Wood and Port Finished)
Mash: 95% Rye, 5% Barley
Website: Dancing Goat
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
***This review information has been updated. The distillery contacted me and informed that there’s a third label on the neck that didn’t make it on my particular bottle. This barrel WAS port finished. I have updated the information above to reflect some changes, but tasting notes and ratings have remained unchanged. It’s also important to note as a correction to what I listed below. Dancing goat opened in 2015 and it was their tasting room that opened in 2017. More updated information under the distillery’s story section***
Color: I don’t normally comment on color. It’s pretty pointless. What does it taste and smell like?!?! I put it in this review because this is a deep – Rust, Reddish, Amber color. You don’t typically see a color like this in a whiskey so it was worth noting.
Nose: Very mild and tame for the proof. You get deep sweet dark fruits – Raisin, Raspberry, and Plum. After you get past the fruit there’s a Dash of Rye Spice mixed with Cheese Cake, Vanilla and Clove.
Taste/Palate: There’s a lot that hits you in the first couple seconds. Rye Spice, Plum, Fruit Punch, Dark Cherries, and Vanilla Bean. Things calm down in the midpalate as the initial rush fades away. This dram stays very fruity, but you get a little Toasted Oak mixed with some deeper Barrel Char & Molasses.
Finish: The finish is a combination of the Sweet Fruit introduction with the midpalate Oak notes. There’s a little bite that comes through from the Rye on the finish to prove that it’s actually in there. The finish is similar to a Rye Port Finish.
Verdict: This is very unique. It has some spice from the Rye but it’s the deep fruit notes that pop out on this one. It’s not subtle. If I took this taste blind I would say it was heavily aged in a Port / Sherry Barrel. It wasn’t (***See correction above). From what I can tell this is strictly wood finished (***). Limousin wood is the same wood that’s used to make cognac. I found this out during my research and after my tasting notes… Now it all makes sense. Just surprising you get that much pop out of the Limousin Finish (***).
The Story: I hosted a draft party at my cabin and my friend brought this to the party and left it behind. He knows I like unusual and fun pours. I can’t find this one on the distiller’s site and it appears to be a higher proof than the standard Limousin Rye 6 Year.
He gave me a pour neat and we got going on the draft party. As I was sipping on this I knew it was a Rye and it was 6 years old. That was it. I figured it was a Port or Sherry finish. It apparently was not (*** See Correction Above). After completing some research what I can find is that this might be a single barrel from the Stillman’s private stock. It’s 51.4% vs what I find on dancing goats site for Limousin 6 Year at 45%. On the label it says that it’s aged “a minimum of 6 years in vintage American Oak Barrels then finished in the worlds rarest oak from the Limousin Forest in France”.
From what I can surmise is that used barrels are utilized for aging. It says aged at least 6 years in vintage barrels. If the barrels have been used prior to this product’s aging the barrels would have been mellowed out a bit. I’m not sure if new oak was used before that or before the Limousin finish. I can say there’s a lot of flavor that passes through to the finish product. Not too far off from a Cognac.
The Distillery’s Story: “Tucked in the vineyards of Cambridge, Wisconsin, just outside of Madison – The Dancing Goat was established by a collection of family and friends. We remain “True to the Goat” combining the Art and Science of Distillation from past experience with modern technology. We are continuously exploring new methods and techniques of distilling, so you never know what you will discover upon a visit to The Goat.”
Above is what you’ll find on Dancing Goat’s site. I dug a little deeper in the good old interwebs. Dancing Goat was founded in 2015 and the tasting room opened in 2017. They are relatively young, but clearly dream big. I have personally visited Dancing goat, I believe 3 years ago, so it’s not “new” to me. I had some of their crafted cocktails using their standard (NAS) limousin rye. I enjoyed the visit, but I didn’t consider the distillery to be a heavy hitter, just a small craft distiller with a solid selection. Fast forward 3 years and they’ve made big moves. They are offering 6 and 7 year Limousin Ryes, Cask Strength, Single Barrel Selections, etc. There’s also news that around 2020 Dancing Goat purchased the Death’s Door brand. A big move for a “small craft distiller” – eating my own words. Upon more research it appears that they are planning an expansion, which makes perfect sense considering they are outgrowing their skin… In a good way.
As mentioned in my disclaimer above Dancing Goat was very prompt in responding to this review. I love it when Distilleries reach out and provide clarity. Nobody knows their product better than they do. When contacting me they informed me that they distill their own spirits, but the juice that’s found in Limousin bottles has been sourced from MGP. They age in used Bourbon Barrels to let subtle flavors stand out instead of being overwhelmed by Oak tannins. They impart Limousin Wood during a Solera finishing technique. For more information about Solera aging see my review of Hill Rock. Dancing goat finally finishes the journey by utilizing a extended secondary barrel for final finishing.
I appreciate the journey this juice has taken. Some distilleries source a product, slap their label on it, and charge double or triple. Dancing Goat took a base product and made it their own. Cheers!
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Average. Not bad, but not special.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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