Pursuit Spirits, the company founded by the creators of the popular Bourbon Pursuit podcast, today announced the launch of their latest expression – Pursuit United Double Oaked Rye Whiskey. This new product is part of the United product family, which emphasizes the art of blending whiskeys with varying mashbills from different regions to achieve a …
Pursuit Spirits, the company founded by the creators of the popular Bourbon Pursuit podcast, today announced the launch of their latest expression – Pursuit United Double Oaked Rye Whiskey.
This new product is part of the United product family, which emphasizes the art of blending whiskeys with varying mashbills from different regions to achieve a more flavorful and one-of-a-kind profile. The Double Oaked Rye features the same base as their award-winning Pursuit United Rye whiskey, produced in partnership with industry leaders Bardstown Bourbon Company and Sagamore Spirit. Building on the success of their highly acclaimed Double Oaked Bourbon, the new Double Oaked Rye showcases a new stave profile using french oak that has been lightly toasted and heavily charred for the secondary maturation.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding our Double Oaked line with this exceptional Rye Whiskey,” said Kenny Coleman, Co-Founder of Pursuit Spirits. “After the wild success of our Double Oaked Bourbon, we immediately began working to bring a new level of depth and complexity to our rye expression. This pursuit resulted in a truly exceptional whiskey that we’re incredibly proud of.”
This release represents the culmination of an extensive experimentation phase. Over 40 different oak experiments were conducted to find a profile that worked in perfect harmony with their Pursuit United Rye. The team tested various oak profiles along with different toast and char levels to determine the ideal combination for this initial release. The finished product boasts a rich mahogany color and full-bodied flavor showcasing an oak profile with whiskeys three times its age, but at Pursuit’s signature 108 proof point.
Pursuit United Double Oaked Rye whiskey will be available at the Pursuit Spirits distillery tasting room on Mellwood Ave in Louisville, KY and Seelbachs, beginning on Thursday, August 29th, 2024. Distribution is limited to those states that request it with the first bottles going to GA and MD. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Iowa-based bottler and distillery Templeton Rye has released a new Templeton Straight Rye Whiskey to serve as its entry level expression going forward. The previous entry level and flagship expression, Templeton 6 Year Old Rye, will continue, but no longer serve as the bottom run of the company’s line. At 90 proof and a mash …
Iowa-based bottler and distillery Templeton Rye has released a new Templeton Straight Rye Whiskey to serve as its entry level expression going forward. The previous entry level and flagship expression, Templeton 6 Year Old Rye, will continue, but no longer serve as the bottom run of the company’s line.
At 90 proof and a mash bill that consists of 95% Rye and 5% Malted Barley, Templeton Straight Rye Whiskey is meticulously selected from sourced rye whiskey inventory then aged for a minimum of 4 years in first-fill American oak barrels and bottled at the Templeton Distillery in Templeton, Iowa.
Interestingly, Templeton opened their Iowa distillery in 2018, so one might assume there was no need to rely upon sourced (presumably MGP-made) rye whiskey for a four year old expression. One might speculate that perhaps it is a hybrid of in-house and sourced production, but there are no indications of that, so a good guess is that their in-house production still isn’t ready.
“As we continue to evolve from an independent bottler to a distiller, our robust innovation pipeline will ensure we continue to meet the evolving tastes of our consumers,” said Lester Brown, Head Distiller at Templeton Distillery. “This bold and complex expression reflects our dedication to crafting full-flavored, high quality rye whiskey, inspired by our storied history in rye whiskey making and fit for today’s whiskey lover. We’re thrilled to invite both longtime fans and newcomers to experience this newest expression of Templeton.”
By Richard Thomas Having spent a good deal of time asking people with what bottle they were first introduced to whiskey, I have only heard a rye whiskey mentioned once. Various bourbons, Scotch and Irish whiskies have been cited dozens upon dozens of times, and even Canadian whiskies appear in the recollections of Boomers, but …
By Richard Thomas
Old Overholt Bonded Rye (Credit: Richard Thomas)
Having spent a good deal of time asking people with what bottle they were first introduced to whiskey, I have only heard a rye whiskey mentioned once. Various bourbons, Scotch and Irish whiskies have been cited dozens upon dozens of times, and even Canadian whiskies appear in the recollections of Boomers, but only once for rye whiskey.
My suspicion is the last time one would find many Americans who got started with whiskey by sipping a rye would have been before Prohibition. Many factors go into explaining how that came about, but nowadays rye is just not how most people get started with whiskey, excepting possibly using rye in a cocktail. Compounding that is how some folks are genetically predisposed to dislike bitter and spicy flavors. Yet since the Rye Crunch of 2011-12, rye whiskey has been the fastest growing and most vibrant of the many long disused sectors of American whiskey. Some would say that momentum has reached maturity and slowed down, but it was only this year when Suntory Global Spirits began to give its disued Old Overholt, the classic brand of rye whiskey, the attention it deserves.
So, rye whiskey remains a branch of American whiskeydom that many drinkers are unfamiliar with, and how to introduce friends and family to it is not obvious. Indeed, just as smoky Scotch has the potential to permanently turn off some folks, boldly spicy rye could do the same for neophytes. Thankfully, the dominant branch of rye whiskey today is well-suited to the job of providing a starter bottle: Kentucky style rye whiskey.
Rye Done Bluegrass Style
The old style label of Wild Turkey 101 Rye Whiskey (Credit: S.D. Peters)
In keeping with American whiskey law, the major stipulation for a rye whiskey is that it be fermented from a mash of 51% rye grain or greater. Rye was originally associated most closely with Pennsylvania and Maryland, not Kentucky, but three trends that dominated the industry in the mid-20th Century consolidated rye whiskey production in the Bluegrass. First, many whiskey brands were traded between liquor conglomerates as if they were Cracker Jack toys. This detached brands that had been started in the Keystone or the Old Line State from the distillery that originally made them. Second was the prevailing era of industrial consolidation, which was widespread in the US during the post-war period. Third was that the distilling industry of Pennsylvania and Maryland never really recovered from the tribulations of the early 20th Century, such as Prohibition, so each decade saw fewer and fewer active distillers in those states.
Eventually, these factors consolidated rye production into Kentucky distilleries, all of which had excess production capacity as the Great Whiskey Bust of the 1970s settled upon and smothered the industry. For example, when Jimmy Russell became a Master Distiller in 1964, his factory was not called the Wild Turkey Distillery or even the Austin Nichols Distillery. Those names would not come to the facility until 1971, and they brought with them rye whiskey. Rye had not been made there before, and Jimmy Russell supposedly did not like it and did not want to make it, but he had his marching orders. The result is the Wild Turkey 101 so beloved by rye fans today.
Similarly, Jim Beam acquired Old Overholt as part of a deal with National Distillers in 1987, along with Old Crow and Old Granddad. Heaven Hill picked up the Rittenhouse brand in 1993, after its ownership went bankrupt.
Some Kentucky distillers were already making rye when they acquired these brands and some only started because of it, but they all followed a similar approach, which has become the Kentucky style rye. This is defined by having a minimal amount of rye in the mash, usually between 51 and 55%. The style could also be called “high corn” rye, because the relatively low rye content opens the door for much more corn than, say, a Maryland distiller would have used.
In the Bluegrass, bourbon makers and had well-defined production processes for making bourbon. Some bourbons are known for having a high-rye content, so that served as a model for making a rye whiskey with Moreover, rye is a notoriously sticky grain in the mash, and their existing equipment was not well-suited to making high. So, they all chose to make a rye whiskey that was as close to bourbon as possible. There are exceptions, such as the Old Maysville Club made by Old Pogue, but these are recent products of the 21st Century.
Despite the labeling, Pikesville isn’t a Maryland-style rye. (Credit: John Rayls)
That style is a huge boon for a starter rye, since it is only one step removed from the bourbon your novice is likely familiar with. That becomes doubly true if they are familiar with high rye bourbons, such as Basil Hayden. Even if the novice is not already familiar with bourbon, that the style leans heavily towards the sweet, corn- and new oak-derived of bourbon helps work around the potential a boldly spicy rye has to permanently turn people off. Kentucky style rye is drier and spicier than most bourbon whiskeys, but not nearly so much so as Pennsylvania ryes.
The Baltimore distillery Sagamore Spirit has two new expressions coming out soon, including their oldest yet. Sagamore 9-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey, and the Sagamore Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, both part of the brand’s Reserve Series. Sagamore 9-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey exemplifies the craft of long-term aging, proudly representing Sagamore’s oldest age statement to …
The Baltimore distillery Sagamore Spirit has two new expressions coming out soon, including their oldest yet. Sagamore 9-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey, and the Sagamore Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, both part of the brand’s Reserve Series.
Sagamore 9-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey exemplifies the craft of long-term aging, proudly representing Sagamore’s oldest age statement to date. Resting for at least nine years in new charred American white oak barrels, this rye whiskey offers a perfectly balanced blend of sweet and spice. As part of Sagamore Spirit Reserve Series, this 56.3% ABV whiskey honors the rich legacy of Maryland distilling.
In November, Sagamore Spirit will unveil its Sagamore Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, a 7-year-old rye and the brand’s oldest Bottled in Bond release to date. This 100-proof whiskey, distilled, aged, and bottled in Maryland, embodies the high standards of the Bottled in Bond designation. Crafted in the fall of 2017 from a blend of high rye and low rye mash bills, it delivers Sagamore’s signature Maryland-style flavor. Triple distilled and non-chill filtered, this is also a small batch release.
The Bottled in Bond designation, established in 1897, guarantees the whiskey meets strict criteria, including being the product of a single distillation season, aged for at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100-proof. Sagamore Spirit’s Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey honors this tradition while offering whiskey enthusiasts a bold and nuanced profile.
“With these two releases, we continue to push the boundaries of Maryland-style rye whiskey while staying true to our roots,” says Ryan Norwood, VP of Operations. “The 9-Year-Old Straight Rye celebrates the careful aging and blending process, while Bottled in Bond exemplifies our dedication to transparency and quality. We’re excited to share these distinctive whiskies with our fans.”
The Sagamore 9-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey is already available at $79.99, with the Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey hitting shelves in November at $59.99. Both expressions can be found at Sagamore Spirit’s distillery in Baltimore and select retailers.
New York’s Hudson Whiskey, one of the trailblazers of the American craft distilling movement, has launched its newest limited edition innovation: Hudson New York Rye Whiskey Calvados Cask Finish. The third significantly aged expression is Empire Rye-certified and a proudly New York state whiskey. The production process also underlines that not all whiskeys with a …
New York’s Hudson Whiskey, one of the trailblazers of the American craft distilling movement, has launched its newest limited edition innovation: Hudson New York Rye Whiskey Calvados Cask Finish. The third significantly aged expression is Empire Rye-certified and a proudly New York state whiskey. The production process also underlines that not all whiskeys with a 95% rye mash bill these days are coming from Indiana’s MGP, as is so often misunderstood.
Hudson New York Rye Whiskey Calvados Cask Finish is crafted with a blend of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, sourced locally from Hudson Valley farms. The whiskey undergoes an intricate aging process, spending at least 3.5 years in new American oak barrels before maturing for an additional 3.5 years in casks that previously held Calvados – a refined apple brandy with appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) status, produced exclusively in Normandy, France.
“When we had the chance to acquire casks that once held Calvados, we saw an opportunity to craft a whiskey that embodies the bold, innovative spirit of Hudson Whiskey and New York itself,” said Brian Kinsman, Master Blender. “This new rye pays homage to the state, from the orchards of the Hudson Valley to the iconic Big Apple. As the Hudson Whiskey portfolio continues to grow, we’re committed to expanding its offerings with aged expressions that reflect its proud, bold New York heritage.”
This release builds on Hudson Whiskey’s pioneering legacy and its growing focus on premiumizing its portfolio. Tuthilltown Distillery, the birthplace of Hudson Whiskey, celebrates this milestone as a testament to the brand’s heritage and its relentless pursuit of innovation and experimentation within the American craft spirits movement.
Hudson New York Rye Whiskey Calvados Cask Finish will be available nationwide at local retail outlets and premium establishments starting October 1. MSRP of $69.99.
Beam Suntory has been revisiting its long languishing brands in recent years, such as Baker’s and Old Overholt. The development of the latter, once a classic of Pennsylvania’s rye-centered whiskey industry, has received another boost with Beam’s release of an 11 year old, cask strength Old Overholt. Although the original Old Overholt was a very …
Beam Suntory has been revisiting its long languishing brands in recent years, such as Baker’s and Old Overholt. The development of the latter, once a classic of Pennsylvania’s rye-centered whiskey industry, has received another boost with Beam’s release of an 11 year old, cask strength Old Overholt.
Although the original Old Overholt was a very rye-forward whiskey, produced in the sweet mash process and aged using semi-climate controlled warehouses that were heated during the winter, most modern drinkers are not familiar with those details or even with what such a whiskey would have tasted like. Instead, Old Overholt has for decades come from the Kentucky-style, high corn mash bill used by Jim Beam for most of their rye expressions. Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength 11 Year Old is no different, but what it offers is an almost middle aged, high proof version of that familiar rye whiskey.
Bottled at 107.4 proof, the whiskey will be available at $100 a bottle.
By Richard Thomas Rating: B When you stop and think about the logistics, the double new oak treatment should not be as commonplace as it has become. Although secondary maturation offers a way to give a new twist to an already existing whiskey in stock, it usually relies upon used barrels to achieve that effect, …
When you stop and think about the logistics, the double new oak treatment should not be as commonplace as it has become. Although secondary maturation offers a way to give a new twist to an already existing whiskey in stock, it usually relies upon used barrels to achieve that effect, and used is often cheaper than a new barrel of the exact same type. It is because the effect achieved–doubling down on the flavors imparted by virgin American oak–that the expense has become worth it and the double new oak format has become expected for any major expression. Thus, it inevitably came around for Elijah Craig Rye, with Elijah Craig Bourbon having received the double new oaking back in 2020.
Toasted barrels are preferred for this secondary new oak maturation because of the difference between what charring and toasting accomplishes, but also because charring to some degree is required by Federal law in primary maturation. Even distillers who use toasted barrels for their first round of aging always give that toasted barrel a little charring afterward. For the second round, distillers can go for all-toasted if they choose, and this is preferred. The slower “cooking” of the barrel produces a more delicate flavor profile, as well as preserving certain flavor compounds in the wood that would otherwise be destroyed by the hotter charring process. Heaven Hill follows a custom process in the former vein, giving their barrels an almost hour-long toast followed by a flash of charring.
So, the creation of this whiskey starts with Elijah Craig Rye, made with the Kentucky style rye mash bill that just meets the minimum requirement of 51% rye. With 14% malted barley and 35% corn, I’ve come to think of Heaven Hill’s approach to rye as the exemplar of what Kentucky rye is: as low on rye as possible and high corn, playing down the spicy side of rye as much as possible. EC Rye is a no age statement whiskey, but said to be between four and six years old, so with a (presumed) several months worth of secondary aging I think of the Toasted Rye as five or six years old. The whiskey is bottled at 94 proof.
The Whiskey The rye takes on a dull, middle amber look in the glass, noticeably darker than the usual copper that accompanies so many ryes. The nose led with dry grass and pine needles, with cinnamon graham crackers with a drizzle of honey coming up strongly behind that. The palate develops into a marshmallow and vanilla sweetness, dusted with cookie spices, along with the pine needles carrying over from the nose. The finish folded over and ran with the vanilla.
The Price At $55 a bottle, this is almost double the price of the standard EC Rye. Of course, making it is more expensive, even more so than a normal cask finished whiskey. I always think of double new oak whiskeys as being at their best as a dessert whiskey tipple, and this one is no exception. So as to whether it is worth the steep mark-up or not, I think that depends very much on individual tastes. A drinker with a strong fondness for any two of the following–rye whiskey, double new oak aging or dessert whiskey–will find the price tag well worth it. As marked up as it is compared to its counterpart, regular rye, it is still a little cheaper than some of its alternatives as a double new oaked whiskey.
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ Liberty Pole Spirits is a family-owned and -operated craft distillery started in 2016 by Jim, Ellen, Rob and Kevin Hough. The Houghs are longtime residents of Washington County, Pennsylvania. They caught the distilling bug in the early 2000’s when Jim bought a 10-gallon still and learned the ropes of …
By Randall H. Borkus
Rating: B+
(Credit: Randall H. Borkus)
Liberty Pole Spirits is a family-owned and -operated craft distillery started in 2016 by Jim, Ellen, Rob and Kevin Hough. The Houghs are longtime residents of Washington County, Pennsylvania. They caught the distilling bug in the early 2000’s when Jim bought a 10-gallon still and learned the ropes of making distilled spirits as he contemplated retirement. After visiting various craft distilleries and developing his own respectable whiskey mash bills, Jim convinced Ellen that opening a craft whiskey distillery would a fun retirement endeavor. Rob and Kevin, both mechanical engineers, joined the family business. With Rob and Kevin running production, Ellen created craft cocktails and an incredible visitor experience, and Jim greeting customers and talking whiskey in the tasting room Liberty Pole Spirits became more than a dream. “Liberty Pole” is a registered trademark of Mingo Creek Craft Distillers, LLC.
The commercial distillery (as opposed to Jim Hough’s hobby) started with a 300-gallon still, expanded to a 600-gallon operation in 2019 and eventually moved to a new facility in 2023, where they tripled production.
The story behind the Liberty Pole started with members of the infamous Mingo Creek Society that would place liberty poles along the roadside and in town centers and then hang Alexander Hamilton’s portrait upside down to protest the 1791 federal excise tax on whiskey. Today, Liberty Pole Spirits continues the production of this rebellious spirit through their authentic Pennsylvania whiskey.
In authentic Monongahela Rye style, “Old Monongahela Full Proof Rye Whiskey” is made with a high rye mash bill, utilizing a sweet mash distilling process, and using a 108 barrel entry proof. This low barrel entry proof helps prevent the astringency that occurs in high barrel proof whiskeys while extracting delicious flavor notes that tempt the discerning whiskey palate.
The rye mash bill made with 74% rye, (a composite of 61% Pennsylvania grown rye and 13% malted rye) and 13% wheat and 13% malted barley which is distilled in a classic pot still in the Pennsylvania rye whiskey tradition. The spirit rests in 53-gallon barrels made from Appalachian oak from the West Virginia Great Barrel Company.
The distillery states, “our inaugural release of Old Monongahela Full Proof Rye Whiskey marks a milestone in our journey, showcasing a blend of six barrels ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 years old. Bottled at a proof of 108, mirroring its barrel entry proof [108], this expression captures the true essence of Monongahela Rye.”
The Whiskey The whiskey’s appearance is a dark amber brown. The nose is full of sweet oak wood notes with hints of Caramel, Vanilla, crushed prunes, and baking spices. The taste is a full earthy Vanilla mash, sweet dates, cinnamon spice and more sweet oak notes dusted with a hint of mocha. It reminds me of a polish pudding from my childhood, “budyń waniliowy” which my mom and aunt Jean would make us when I was a kid. The finish is delightfully warming, medium long with more sweet oak wood, a touch of earthiness and cinnamon sprinkles.
I find this is a must have bottle on my bar, and I was able to have it delivered to my front door. I am going to have loads of fun with this expression when I host blind rye whiskey tastings with my colleagues.
The Price Old Monongahela Full Proof Rye Whiskey is available at the distillery and available for shipping at $67 for a 750ml bottle.
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ As a horror fan and a whiskey author, I’m slightly disappointed every year when autumn never brings together my two interests, this despite the two being firmly rooted in the season. As it happens, Halloween lands in the middle of the time of year when all the most ardently sought …
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
As a horror fan and a whiskey author, I’m slightly disappointed every year when autumn never brings together my two interests, this despite the two being firmly rooted in the season. As it happens, Halloween lands in the middle of the time of year when all the most ardently sought annual limited edition whiskeys come out. Disappointed until now.
Mother-daughter team and New Orleans residents Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich have addressed that longing with Hauntingly Good Spirits. A cocktail guide that is rooted in the lore of America’s most macabre city, the cover itself speaks to a book that should be left perched on the front of the bar cart as soon as the Halloween decor goes up. It looks that much as part of the spooky season.
I have only had the book long enough to spin up one whiskey cocktail to accompany my Halloween season (that starts as soon as the haunted houses and forests open at my house, and that was this week) thus far, but I was already pleased: The Spooky Smoked Sazerac. I had all the ingredients on hand, and was especially pleased to use some fresh rosemary cut from my own garden.
Perusing the books contents offers me some gin ideas that I may apply this weekend (it promises to be steamy and calls for something chilled or on the rocks), as well as encourages me to up my absinthe game. The latter has been on my to-do list for some time. But this is a whiskey website, so here are some other ghastly whiskey-based cocktails from the book: the Soggy Grave, the Cemetery Angel, the hybridized City of the Dead (Scotch and Irish in that one!), and the Night Tripper. There are many more. I’m looking forward to trying out some more as my horror movie season marches on, either this year or the next.
The book also makes good reading, delving into a surface-level exploration of New Orleans’ haunted history, as well as offering a primer on the city’s craft spirits. It’s a solid book for anyone who finds October brings them to a moonlit crossroads of loving a good drink while waiting for the devil.
By David Levine Rating: B+ It’s hard to believe that Stauning Danish Whisky is almost 20 years old. Founded in 2005 by a group of nine friends, it came online at roughly the same time as the first wave of the new craft movement in the US. In many ways, Stauning represents the entire Nordic/Scandinavian …
By David Levine
Rating: B+
Stauning Floor Malted Rye Whiskey (Credit: David Levine)
Founded in 2005 by a group of nine friends, it came online at roughly the same time as the first wave of the new craft movement in the US. In many ways, Stauning represents the entire Nordic/Scandinavian region and its new distilling scene. Hundreds of distilleries followed in Stauning’s wake. Flavors of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway (Iceland and Finland, too, depending on who you ask) are suddenly in vogue as the interest in the region’s culinary products and prowess booms around the world.
For Stauning – and these northern European cultures – rye is a specialty. It’s a grain that grows in nearly any soil, a key feature for Vikings and their descendants as they, too, spread around the known world. Barley and wheat might grow. Short of being on a glacier, rye will grow. And so, when building their initial distillery and the gorgeous 24-still successor, Stauning made sure that rye would be a core offering.
American rye drinkers and drinkers of American rye will find this quite different from the rye profiles coming out of Indiana and other famous rye distilling states. There’s no black pepper here, no sharpness you’d expect in a 95/5 or a Monongahela, nor is it sweet like the barely-legal ryes of Maryland and Kentucky. Instead, it is earthy, reminiscent of walking through the very fields from which the rye is harvested. Whether by nature or design, Stauning’s rye feels and tastes closer to the earth, a quality I only find in select American ryes also grown locally to their respective distilleries.
I should note, Stauning makes excellent single malt, but their showcasing of what rye from northern climes tastes like has set a standard. Their products are also surprisingly easy to get, which not many Danish or Scandinavian spirits can say.
This particular rye is floor-malted on-site. I can’t say for sure what that does to the flavors, but it does indicate a level of care for the grain that you can only claim when you’re the one turning the sprouts. Only a dozen or so distilleries do this in the US, all craft, and the few that do it in Scotland are famous for it (Balvenie, for example). Floor-malting rye that’s grown “a bike ride away from the distillery by two local farmers” allows Stauning to rightfully claim Danish terroir, Danish spirit, and Danish rye.
Stauning’s Floor-Malted Rye Whisky is where I entered the world of Scandinavian whisky, and I would argue it’s the best place to do so. The rye is unfamiliar but not enough to scare a newer drinker off, and more experienced whiskyphiles will enjoy their horizons being expanded. I find a strong through-line between their rye and barley spirits, so there’s an easy jump there, and from that point you can bring in other producers like. Spirit of Hven, Eimverk Distillery, and more out-there flavors that are incredibly interesting but might need a steppingstone to reach.
The flip side of this coin is that the rye is relatively simple. It’s far from one note, to be clear; it just feels more like that entry point whisky, one that has enough flavor to stand on its own while being a great canvas for finishing, additional aging, and blending. It’s an easy buy and one sure to inflame interest in Stauning and the larger movement they helped start.
The Whisky Golden blossom honey in the glass, medium wavy rims and medium-sized droplets encircling. Light and sweet on the nose, hay, farms, and fields without the barnyard funk. Caramel apples heavy on the caramel, almost toffee-like. Candied lemon zest and sugared grapefruit. Cel-Ray soda and fresh lime juice.
Fruity and citrus-forward on the palate with an unfamiliar spice kicking the front of my tongue (I’ve been trying for days to identify it, and it’s not one I have in my kitchen). The farm and haystack notes carry through from the nose. Slightly burnt grain, like a caramel roasted rye or malt towards the back, white grapes and mild astringency, dried orange peel. Mouthfeel is silky and moderately viscous, lighting up the front of my tongue again before settling down to a lighter astringency in the corners of my mouth. The finish reveals just a bit of barnyard funk, like freshly mulched or fertilized fields, with a beautiful fall flavor memory of fallen apples and tree fruits starting to ferment on the ground. Medium length, leans sweet.
Overall: A dominant statement of what Danish rye can be. Reminiscent of farms, fall, and grain, an unfamiliar spice adding intrigue behind the intense flavors. A great standard-bearer for what Scandinavian rye can be and a strong canvas from which to build. At 3+ years old, an easy buy for those looking to expand their palates and try something new.
The Price A bottle of this Danish rye should cost you $68.99.
