Review / InchDairnie Ryelaw

This whisky is the highly anticipated first release from the Fife distillery of InchDairnie. The Ryelaw was distilled from a mix of 53% malted rye and 47% malted barley in 2017. Both cereals were grown at farms in the Kingdom of Fife, including Ryelaw Farm from which the whisky takes its name. The spirit was then matured in charred virgin American oak casks for five years. It has been bottled at 46.3% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. Ryelaw is made for just one week each year at the groundbreaking distillery, which features one of only two mash filters in the Scotch whisky industry (the other is at Teaninich in the Highlands) and a bespoke Lomond still. 

Review / Whistlepig Piggyback 6 years old

This new bottling is the youngest expression from the Vermont-based brand of Whistlepig. As with the rest of the range Whistlepig Piggyback 6 years old is made from 100% rye. It joins the 10, 12 and 15 year old expressions. The new whisky has been conceived following consultation with bartenders and is designed for use in mixing and cocktails. It was created by Dave Pickerell, the late Master Distiller at Whistlepig who sadly died just before its launch. Piggyback is bottled at six years of age and has been aged in American oak barrels. It was launched in America last month and saw its UK launch on Independence Day (July 4). Whistlepig Piggyback 6 years old is bottled at 48.28% ABV (96.56 Proof) and will retail for £45 per bottle.

Review / The Oxford Artisan Distillery 'Red Red Rye'

This new whisky is the fifth release of rye spirit produced at The Oxford Artisan Distilley (or TOAD for short) - the English distillery that has celebrated its fourth anniversary this year. The spirit was made using heritage varieties of grain that were harvested in Autumn 2017 from fields just seven miles from the distillery. The composition of the mash was 90% maslin (a blend of 70% rye and 20% wheat that were grown in the same field) and 10% malted barley. 

The whisky has undergone a journey through three different cask types. It began in two American oak ex-bourbon barrels, which were then combined into one ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry butt. This was then finally split between two vintage Port barriques for its final maturation. The Red Red Rye follows the first four batches that have been released over the last year or so. 

Review / The Oxford Artisan Distillery 'Oxford Rye' Batch #3

This new whisky is the third release of the rye spirit produced at The Oxford Artisan Distilley (or TOAD for short). The English distillery has bottled this to celebrate its fourth anniversary. The spirit was made using heritage varieties of grain that were harvested in Autumn 2017.  The composition of the mash was 90% maslin (a blend of 70% rye and 20% wheat that were grown in the same field) and 10% malted barley. The spirit was then matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for 17 months, before being transferred to ex-Moscatel wine barrels sourced from Portugal. The Oxford Rye Batch #3 follows the first two batches that were released earlier this year in April and July respectively.

Review / Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 92 Proof

This whisky is a new arrival to the UK market and is produced in the American state of Virginia. The Roundstone Rye is their flagship range and features this 92 Proof alongside the 80 Proof and Cask Proof bottlings (this is released twice a year). The three whiskies are made in a pre-Prohibition rye style and from 100% rye grain, which is sourced locally where possible. All parts of the distillation process - mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation - take place at the distillery. The spirit is matured in charred American white oak barrels for a minimum of two years, with only one single cask in every ten being selected for this 92 Proof release.

The Second Coming of Rye Whiskey

Rye whiskies are back in fashion.

There is a resurgence happening. A long forgotten and much maligned spirit is making a comeback, and in a big way. That spirit is American rye whiskey.

Long seen as the spicy and brash brother of bourbon, rye whiskey had fallen out of favour with consumers and bartenders in a big way. The spirit never properly recovered from the Prohibition period, which was from 1920 to 1933 in America, and the effect was almost terminal. It was relegated to being produced by just a few distillers for a decreasing number of drinkers.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (December 15, 2017)

Welcome to Inbox.  For those new to WFE, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.