Woodinville 100% Rye Whiskey

About

One of the only 100% straight ryes out there, packed with the traditional spice and flavor that rye drinkers love—and then some.

This 100% rye starts with pure, traditionally grown rye cultivated exclusively for us on the Omlin family farm in Quincy, Washington. We mash and distill the grain in our Woodinville distillery, then truck it back over the Cascade Mountains for barreling and aging in our private barrel houses. Central Washington’s extreme temperature cycles promote the extraction of the oak barrel wood’s natural flavors. Before we cooper the barrel wood, it’s seasoned in open air, rain, wind, sun, and snow for 18 months to soften the wood’s harsh tannins. We deeply toast and heavily char our barrels to enrich the wood’s desirable flavors.

Mashbill

100% rye, grown on the Omlin Family Farm

Flavor Profile

Nose: cinnamon, clove, and fruit leather

Taste: caramel, wood spice, and honey

Finish: long and memorable

Awards

2020 Best Straight Bourbon and Double Gold. San Francisco World Spirits Competition

2016 Craft Whiskey of the Year. American Distilling Institute Craft Spirits Awards

Best Non-Kentucky Bourbon. Fred Minnick Whiskey of the Year Contenders 2019

TIPS FOR TASTING IT

Whether you’re already an aficionado or just starting to dip your toe into brown spirits, the journey is all about building context through tasting. The more whiskey you try, the more attuned and instinctual your palate becomes. (Not a bad deal, right?) Here are some tips for tasting like a pro.

Choose a glass

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The slight tulip shape of the traditional Glencairn glass is ideal for exploring and appreciating whiskey. Choose a clear vessel so you can observe the whiskey’s color and legs, which are the residual sugars running down the insides of the glass.

Notice the details

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Swirl the glass gently and note the spirit’s viscosity and the legs left behind when you do so. Take some time to smell the whiskey.

Take a taste

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Plan on exploring the whiskey for a few minutes, with at least three sips. And feel free to drink water between each. To start, take a small sip—and don’t judge the spirit by that first sip. You’ll need your palate to get accustomed to the alcohol’s heat on your tongue and taste buds. Then take another small sip. Move it around your mouth. Some people even “chew” their whiskey. Take a third sip. Name the flavors you sense; you can even record them.

Revisit with water

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To open up the whiskey, you can add some water after the first few sips. It’s like oxygenating wine; it will lower the proof and bring more nuanced flavors to the surface. However, adding too much water can over-dilute the spirit. Water is preferred over ice, which can blunt flavors once the whiskey is too cold.