Clyde May’s Rye Whiskey Review

By Randall H. Borkus

Rating: C

Clyde May’s Rye Whiskey
(Credit: Connech Brands)

Clyde May’s is a brand owned by Conecuh Brands, which was founded in 2014. In September 2018, Clyde May’s built on their Alabama Whiskey game (presumably something like Early Times with some apple flavor added) and got in the rye game and released Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey. This rye whiskey is aged a minimum of 3 years and bottled at 47% ABV. Similar to the bourbon, the rye is not distilled in Alabama. but rather in Indiana at MGP.

“Right now, Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey is at its peak in terms of flavor profile and taste. Given the excellence of the product and current market trends, this is the perfect time to release this new expression,” said Roy Danis, President and CEO Conecuh Brands. I hope this young rye whiskey isn’t at its peak at 3 years. I’d like to think it could mature from here given the chance.

The Whiskey
The rye whiskey color is a shining golden-brown amber with thin legs running down the inside of my glass. The nose is warming with hints of oak and cinnamon.

The mouthfeel is thin, rye spice forward and tells a tale of very young juice. The flavor is enjoyable and opens slightly with mild hints of sweet dried fruit and oak spice. The finish is very typical rye spice leaving a slight coating of candied fruit with mostly a cinnamon spice bite to it.

This whiskey reminds me of lots of the other mid to lower shelf rye whiskeys on the market. It is good rye whiskey for mixing but for the money it seems to me they have rushed this product to market as the bottom shelf rye whiskies are plentiful for half the price.

The Price
Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey is available nationally at a suggested retail price of $44.99 which seems expensive for what it is in this market.