Apr. 5: Drammers Indianapolis - Rye Am Legend!..

Fellow Drammers!

We’ve got a fantastic Drammers Indianapolis event coming up on Monday, April 5th. Sean Crain, the head of our Indianapolis chapter, has put together a fantastic rye blind tasting that might actually top the wonderful blind corn whiskey tasting we did a few months ago.

WHEN: April 5th at 6pm at the Commodore (1105 Prospect St, Indianapolis)

TIPS ON HOW TO GET THERE: Enter through the Duckpin Bowling entrance on Prospect St, head across the lobby towards the bathrooms (hall to the right) and enter the unmarked door with a peephole at the end of the hall. COVID restrictions apply, so of course please wear your mask!

And Sean’s written up an awesome background, so we’re going to hand it over here to Sean…. 

Hey gang! I’ve typed up a quick rye whiskey introduction in case folks find it helpful:

We don't have records of when the first rye whiskey was produced in the United States, but the historical record shows that the first official production was ordered by the Director of the Dutch Colony of New Amsterdam in 1640, making it the first whiskey ordered to be produced in America.  The Dutch were almost without argument the most experienced distillers in the Western world at this point in time, so it is likely their influence, rather than the Scotch-Irish that led to the first rye whiskies.  

Originally sold as an unaged spirit, Rye was popular throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania, although it lost traction to Rum until after the American Revolution due to British influence in the Caribbean. By the 1820's Rye was being sold as an aged spirit and remained popular throughout the 19th century. 

Rye whiskey didn't bounce back from Prohibition nearly as well as bourbon, partly because alcohol regulations in New England were much tighter than those in Kentucky.  Distilleries shuttered throughout the region and larger companies moved their rye operations to Kentucky.  This period saw the rise of Canadian Whiskey in New England, taking the place of American Rye.  Fueled by the cocktail boom, rye has been making a comeback since the 90's, and is seeing a meteoric rise in the 2020's partially in thanks to the bourbon boom. 

Definition of Rye:   By law (in the US!) rye whiskey must be:

• Distilled from a mashbill of at least 51% rye;

• Distilled to no higher than 160 proof;

• Aged in new charred oak barrels 

And here’s our epic “Rye am Legend” 12-pour (so far) Lineup

• Peerless Rye - Drammers Club exclusive cask #28 - (see description below)

• Peerless Rye - Drammers Club exclusive cask #29 - Distilled twice on Peerless' 26 foot continuous copper still, these sweet mash ryes come off the still at 131 proof and are barrelled at 107.  They were barreled two weeks apart and are just under 5 years old.  Bottle #29 is a rare double-oaked Rye, the first barrel was a bit leaky so it was re-racked into another new oak barrel at some point. 

• High West Double Rye - ex-cognac - Drammers Club exclusive cask #25 - This is labeled as a blend of straight rye whiskies, finished for 8 mongths in a cognac cask and bottled at 49.7%

• FEW Spirits Rye ex-Malbec - Drammers Club exclusive cask #19 - This was the favorite by a wide margin during the barrel pick, and possibly the only FEW rye to be bottled at cask strength.  FEW doesn't age state but it was finished for at least a year in an ex-Malbec cask.  

• Amrut Malted Rye: The first Indian whisky distilled from European Rye and hopefully not the last.  Aged for 5 years in new charred American oak and bottled in 2017, this has been sold out most places for a few years now.  We picked up this bottle courtesy of Binny's. 

• Kilbeggan Rye: Although there is a historical context for Irish whiskies containing Rye, they've been lost to time.  This is the first modern interpretation that included rye in the mash bill, although it's lower than the American standard, being only 30% rye and the remained malted and unmalted barley.  This bottling also has the honor of being the first whiskey produced at Kilbeggan's revitalized distillery after being closed for nearly 25 years.  

• West Fork Rye - Vine & Table. This bottle brings together two friends of Drammers, West Fork Whiskey Company and Vine & Table.  While there's no age statement on this one, it being a straight rye means it's at least 2 years old.

• 18th St 2yr Rye. This Rye is from our friends up at 18th St Distillery and was aged for 2 years in a 53 gallon char 3 American Oak barrel and bottled at cask strength.

• Roknar Minnesota Rye Whiskey. Each barrel in this batched whiskey is aged for 16 months in 15 gallon charred oak casks and then finished for an undisclosed time in Sauternes casks.  Their mash bill is 80% Rye, 10% Corn and 10% Malted Barley.  The rye used is non-GMA AC Hazlet Winter Rye that is planted and harvested by head distiller Michael Swanson along with the heirloom corn.

• Obtanium Polish Rye. This rye was distilled by Kozuba and Sons in Jablonka, Poland and brought over to the United States when the family decided to set up shop in St. Petersburg, FL in 2014.  This particular barrel was distilled in 2012, so it seems likely that it spent a few years in Poland before shipping to the US where it was sold to NDPs.  This barrel ended up with Cat's Eye in Iowa and was bottled in 2020. 

• Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey - Vermouth Finished. As far as we know, this is the only core-range vermouth finished whiskey on the market.  This is Dad's Hat core range Pennsylvania-style rye with a mash bill of 80% rye, 15% malted barley and 5% malted rye, which is aged for 9-10 months in quarter casks and then finished for another 3-6 months in 15 gallon vermouth casks. 

• Stauning Rye. This Danish whiskey company will be (finally!) entering the US market within days of our event (our club is doing a separate massive Stauning event online on April 30th, FYI). We secured this bottle at auction a while back, distilled in 2015, bottled in November 2018, bottled at 50% abv, this is a malted rye original bottling.
  

Cheers,
Sean Crain (Head of Indianapolis Chapter)
and Charlie (club president)