john drew brands

John Drew Rye is the second John Drew Brands spirit reviewed on Fine Tobacco NYC. We recently reviewed the Brixton Mash Destroyer, a rum/bourbon blend which is a damn nice dram, if a bit eccentric.

The John Drew Rye isn’t quite as ambitious an undertaking as the Mash Destroyer. It’s aged four years in “Specially Toasted” oak barrels. Not sure what “Specially Toasted” means in this context, but it reminds me of the brilliantly vague marketing strategy for Lucky Strike in Mad Men S1 E1: “Lucky Strike. It’s toasted.”

In any case, I’ll say up front that John Drew Brands provided this bottle for review. Hats off to you guys, we appreciate it.

Product Specifics

• Whiskey Reviewed: John Drew Rye
• Distiller: unknown
• Whiskey type: Canadian Rye
• Age: 4 years
• ABV: 45%

Strange factoid. The John Drew Brands website states of John Drew Rye:

John Drew Collection “Rye Whiskey” was distilled in Alberta, Canada, then aged in Oak Barrels for 4 years before being shipped to Florida and held for Jonathan Drew for an additional three years…

I’ll be honest, the one thing that is a bit unsettling about this description is the note about the whiskey being “held for Jonathan Drew for an additional three years.” What the hell does that mean? From a marketing standpoint, it certainly sounds like a way of implying 3 additional years of age. Why even note that the whiskey is “held” anywhere if it isn’t actually being aged? I don’t have an answer to that question, but it is marketing language that should probably be abandoned (and I’ll note that it isn’t included on the bottle itself).

Appearance

As with any John Drew product, the branding is absolutely spot on. I don’t know anyone who gets presentation right the way JD does on every product he makes. The textured paper label features bold copper-toned lettering and it’s absolutely a bottle that will stand out on any shelf.

In the glass, the John Drew Rye is a warm, golden color.

Nose

Taking a whiff off of the rim of the glass, I’m surprised and overwhelmed by vanilla. There are some standard rye spice notes, along with some butter, oak, and a faint plastic smell, but everything is overwhelmed by sweet, sweet vanilla.

If you like vanilla, you’ll enjoy the smell of this whiskey. It’s just a bummer that vanilla dominates the show to the degree that it does.

Palate

As I take another sip, the vanilla once again takes front and center for most of the experience on the tongue. As other reviewers have noted, the mouthfeel is nice, but the whiskey itself lacks complexity.

Finish

The finish is decently long, with a bit of spice and some lingering peanut notes. It’s not a particularly clean finish, lingering with a yeasty note for a bit too long.

Conclusion

As you might have guessed, I’m a bit disappointed that there isn’t more going on with John Drew Rye. Vanilla dominates almost every aspect of the experience. If you’re going for a flavored/infused whiskey, that’s one thing. But if you’re selling a premium aged rye whiskey, then it simply has to be better (more complexity, more flavor, more clarity). Especially priced at ~$50.

John Drew Rye thus receives a score of 78. It has some nice qualities (mainly texture), but falls flat because of its overly sweet character.

Final Score: 78

If you’re a cigar smoker reading this review,  you’re probably here because you heard that Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate has gone into the spirits business and you want to know what he’s up to. For non cigar smokers reading this review, Jonathan Drew revolutionized the cigar world in recent decades, first with his Acid infused cigars and later with hugely popular premium blends like Liga Privada, Undercrown, and a host of others. He is a man that knows tobacco, but perhaps most of all knows the art of branding and marketing.

Brixton Mash Destroyer is the first release from John Drew Brands, and it’s everything you would expect from a man who made a name by being a bit of a heretic in the luxury world. It’s a blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey and Florida rum (hence “Mash Destroyer”). It’s quite an interesting dram, but more on that in the review below.

Product Specifics

• Product Reviewed: Brixton Mash Destroyer by John Drew Brands
• Mashbill: undisclosed. Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Florida Rum
• Age: undisclosed
• ABV: 45% / 90 proof

Appearance

The branding on this bottle has everything you’d expect from anything created by John Drew: vibrant colors, big shapes, and overall ballsy design. For a company that is introducing its first products to market, this is a smart play. In the glass, the liquid is pale gold (a big lighter than what you see in the photo).

Nose

One whiff and you can tell this is a mix of rum and bourbon, though I’d say the rum wins out in terms of strength. The nose is a mix of butter, molasses, faint caramel, hay, peanuts, and some very light oak and pepperiness. A lot going on, but it’s pretty muddled.

Palate

Again, the mix of bourbon and rum is obvious. It’s also quite enjoyable. The bourbon plays a larger upfront role, with bright caramel, oak, and some butter on entry. As the flavor develops, I pick up some rye spiciness, a touch of mint and a bit of the molasses from the rum.

Finish

Brixton Mash Destroyer is almost completely defined by the rum as far as finish is concerned. Long, lingering cane sugar sweetness, banana, and a bit of salty molasses.

Conclusion

Brixton Mash Destroyer by John Drew Brands is not an overly complex drink. It doesn’t weave bourbon and rum together perfectly. At times it’s positively muddled. But I have to say after half a bottle of this and a few cigar pairings, it is an extremely drinkable and pairs well with a number of cigars (the last being the CAO Italia which was a great pairing).

My suspicion is that John Drew Brands has achieved exactly what they wanted to achieve: launch a solid product that elbows into an over saturated market with aggressive branding and a gutsy mix of ingredients. Take our rating on this one with a grain of salt—there isn’t exactly a category for a rum/bourbon combo. But whatever this spirit is, it’s good.

Final Score: 89

Spirits for review were provided by John Drew Brands.