Inspite of the Good Reverend's observation

Yes, I was inebriated, but I shall give you my pedestrian assessment of the five rye.

1. Old Potrero: A single-malt rye that I first read about a few years ago in the New York Times. At that time, it was only available in limited areas and was then $90 a bottle. In the Boston area, there are a couple of places you can find this treasure of the American tradition of whiskey. It's not $90, but it is $65 and worth every penny. The one we sampled in very limited amounts was the 18th Century version. Remarkably smooth for a whiskey that is both cask-strength and one year old. Spicy and strong, this is the good stuff.
2. Old Overholt: The basic standard of the straight-rye whiskeys. Good for mixing and good neat. The face on the label says it all. I will admit the first time I tried this whiskey (a couple of years ago), I felt it was a little flat for me. But it has really grown on me. It's cheap, smooth, and easy.
3. Sazerac 6 year: Okay, there is an 18 year version out there, but who's got the money? Still the Sazerac 6 year is a good whiskey that I put in 3rd on this list. I've always enjoyed it neat and in the cocktail of the same name. Our good brother Daryle and the good Reverend Tim were kind enough to provide the proper materials for this "graduate level" cocktail (props to Tim). Good, solid whiskey that really pushed me over the edge.
4. Wild Turkey 101 Straight Rye: I will admit that this is my usual straight rye. It's not as good as some of the others, and it is pretty hot down the throat. But I do find it to be spicier than Old Overholt and Sazerac, and I can taste the rye better. A little water does go a long way with this one. Of course, we did sample this one immediately after Old Potrero and I think that was a bit unfair.
5. Jim Beam Straight Rye: Well someone has to come in last. I will admit that by this point, I was feeling the Herradura I had with my dinner a lot more than when I had sampled the previous four. But it was the most unremarkable of the five. Less spicy and less distinct. Not a bad whiskey, but it definitely had stiff competition that night.

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening, even being three sheets to the wind. Personally, I hadn't been this far gone in a while, so I'm proposing we only limit the number of whiskey samples to three bottle, not five and I'll forgo my dinner drink the next time.

Inaugural Meeting

Let the record show that the first meeting of the New England Whiskey Society was held on a wretched, blustery President's Day. Pankaj and Brother Daryl hosted the affair, and it was a ringing, boozy success. Their apartment was perfect, having no fewer than three separate liquor stashes, each of which seems to be hidden proportionally to the quality of booze it contains. There were rumors of a floating stash, containing booze so rare that it gets moved from hiding place to hiding place daily. I suspect one of them has a bottle in a briefcase they keep chained to their wrist like the nuclear football.

We tasted ryes - Old Overholt, Jim Beam, Sazerac, and Wild Turkey. That was the official menu, anyway. After a couple of "tastings," Brother Daryl got expansive and revealed a bottle of Old Potrero from Stash #2.

After we'd tasted the entire flight of happy hooch, it was time for cocktails. I was feeling quite proud of myself for scoring some Peychaud's Bitters for authentic sazeracs, but Other Brother Daryle trumped me by bringing some real absinthe for the drinks. And it's true: an authentic sazerac, made with Sazerac rye, Peychaud's and absinthe rather than a pastis, is a truly sublime experience.

Next came Cocktails à la Louisiane, again courtesy of Other Brother Daryle and his bottle of Benedictine. It should be noted that he brought all of his treats in a truly chic liquor attache case that folded out like somthing James Bond would get from Q. Anyway, these were also scrumptious. Next, Brother Daryl made some Manhattans, but he was too woozy to finish the job. Other Brother Daryle and Pankaj got them, though, and seemed appropriately cockeyed.

We then sent Pankaj to work with a definite list to starboard.

Luckily, we had plenty of grub. Linguisa in a blanket, as well as tofu pups in a blanket, pizza, Crab Mornay, and some ginger noodles I prepared, hoping to riff off a rye highball in the spirit of the night. They came out tasty, if I do say so, but were so salty that my fingers were wrinkled after a few bites. Amelia brought some delicious Indian food that was spicy as hell and provided an excellent excuse to drink more.

All in all, a smashing success. Next month, we do Irish whiskies. Tasting notes from rye night to follow.