Ep. 3: Rye Was a Mistake

After two episodes easing Patsy into the world of American whiskey — a gentle wheated bourbon, a Derby Day classic — Episode 3 takes a different turn. This week: New Riff Distilling's Single Barrel Rye from Newport, Kentucky. It's a 100% rye mash bill — 95% rye, 5% malted rye — non-chill filtered, no coloring added, pulled directly from a single barrel. What came out of that barrel is exactly what goes in the glass.Before Patsy touches it, Thom covers the story of New Riff: a distillery built in the parking lot of its founder's former liquor store, and New Riff's then-head distiller's philosophy that a well-made whiskey's taste and aroma can be described with just three notes. If you know what you're doing, three is enough.Patsy listens. Patsy nods. Patsy picks up the glass. It does not go well.We close with a Black Manhattan —Amaro Averna in place of sweet vermouth, designed to give the rye somewhere to go. Bourbon makes a good Manhattan. Rye makes the correct one. Whether that argument lands with Patsy is another matter entirely.The Whiskey Face Scale is rated. This may be our most consequential score yet.New episodes every week.Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering.Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time.