Author name: Mark Bylok

Templeton Rye is not (what most people would consider) a real rye. It is,
though, legally a rye. It’s just not a straight rye which is what most
people assume when they drink rye. It’s history is largely 💩. It’s not the
first whisky with a questionable past, and won’t be the last, but Templeton
has the distinct honour of being sued for their dishonesty. It stands along
side with Tito’s Vodka claims to be hand made. Tito’s continues to be the
best selling brand in North America, so I just 🤷‍♂️ at that, and whether
it matters at all.

Wee Beastie. The name is adorbs. The single malt scotch is aged for five
years, two years longer than minimum. Non-chill filtered, no added
coloring, and no cask finishes—matured in a mix of European (Oloroso) and
American oak. And to quote Bry Simpson, the Canadian Brand Ambassador’s,
favorite phrase: “It’s a banger!”

The source of this rye makes for an interesting story, but in the case of
Barrel Rye Batch Three, it’s a footnote rather than a defining
characteristic. One might hear that this batch is a blend of ryes from
Tennessee, Indiana, Poland, and Canada and think it’ll taste otherworldly
or weird or funky. It does none of those things. It tastes like a terrific
American cask strength rye, with a floral (almost Lot 40 rye-like) nose to
it. It’s a beautiful blend.

Barrell Bourbon uses their large stock of procured barrels, and blends the
best complimentary set of straight bourbons. Each batch is different, and
each batch is uniquely created toward a specific flavour profile.

Lisa Wicker is taking Widow Jane Distillery in an interesting direction
with the Vaults series. Like with other Widow Jane Bourbons, its a blend of
multiple producers, but this series is finished in staves that have been
seasoned for eight years. From the perspective of flavouring, there’s a lot
going on, and it all fits in nicely.

This Brooklyn distillery has undergone a few changes since I last wrote
about them. The distillery is under new ownership, and they’ve hired
Kentucky’s Lisa Wicker as their head distillery (Lisa was more recently
named the president as well). Under new management, gone are the criticisms
of the past.