Primarily based out of Colorado Springs, Distillery 291 has constructed their fame on bourbon, rye, and unaged distillate releases, and their aged merchandise are sometimes completed with toasted aspen staves. (We’ve reviewed quite a lot of their rye and bourbon expressions earlier than.) With a brand new restricted launch, the corporate is exploring a 100% rye malt mash invoice for the primary time — once more, with that trademark aspen end.
Batch #1 of the distillery’s 100% Rye Malt Colorado Whiskey is made up of fifty% Colorado Malted Rye and 50% German Rye Malt. (In a nod to Nineteen Nineties cinephiles, the discharge can be known as “All Rye, All Rye, All Rye.”) The non-age acknowledged whiskey was then completed with toasted aspen staves and bottled at 132.6 proof.
Distillery 291 is releasing simply 1,000 bottles of this first-of-its-kind expression, with a price ticket of $105. Let’s dive in.
I’m not the largest fan of equating coloration with taste, however I’ve to notice it is a strikingly darkish pour, bordering on some 24+ yr rye expressions I’ve tried previously. On the nostril, there’s an enormous natural pop, with dill, wintergreen, and freshly picked mint dominating. Nosing once more offers some extra natural however much less pronounced notes which are a bit darker: black tea particularly. There’s additionally a peppery observe that strikes backwards and forwards with cedar. Some gentle, sweeter traits are current as nicely, notably cinnamon sugar; this might be harking back to a well-known, heavily-advertised breakfast cereal from a long time previous.
I’ve by no means chewed on an aspen wooden stave, however the very first sip most likely imitates that intently. Deep wooden flavors come by, however they’re actually not leaning towards oak, moderately one thing extra pungent and aromatic, akin to cinnamon sticks. It’s intense and, on the very starting, borderline overpowering. The natural/dill notes on the nostril give method to one thing deeper and savory right here, muddled herbs and chopped parsley. It’s a spicy, natural, peppery combine, which very, very slowly transitions right into a thick candy tea. (A welcome reprieve.)
Revisiting with a pair drops of water is price your whereas right here. Slight dilution brings out fruitier traits, together with butterscotch, making for an altogether sweeter sip that isn’t so dominated by the extra and novel wooden affect.
On the end and with out the addition of water, there are pronounced flavors of each basil pesto and cotton sweet. It’s a savory-and-sweet interaction that progressively offers method to a singular cooling spearmint sensation. Once more, a couple of drops assist tame the extreme wooden and mint flavors. This helps deliver welcome stability and sweetness whereas sustaining that noticeable and distinctive spearmint.
Distillery 291’s All Rye is unapologetically daring, benefiting from time within the glass and two (or extra) drops of water to calm the depth of further wooden affect that’s coupled with rye spice. It’s the uncommon particular launch which will even have benefited from proofing down earlier than bottling.
In the event you’re taken with exploring mighty flavors and never afraid to experiment with somewhat house dilution, there’s loads to understand. Right here, that proper stability will fluctuate from one drinker to the following. It is a pour that stands by itself floor, and it may push skilled palates into new territory. Anticipate it to push yours.
132.6 proof.
B+ / $105 / distillery291.com
291 All Rye Colorado Whiskey
$105
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