Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey
Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey
50% ABV
$100
Website
We would like to thank Stoll & Wolfe Distillery and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
PRESS RELEASE
New Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Is A True 250th Anniversary Representation of American Whiskey History
Drawn directly from a colonial-era booklet, this unique expression by two craft distillers with a love for the past showcases a genuine attempt to recreate early American distilling practices using documented historical recipes, heritage grains, and period-appropriate techniques. It is a true representation of a 250th anniversary whiskey.
LITITZ, Pa. – June 1, 2026 – Stoll & Wolfe, a storied craft distillery at the forefront of high-quality Pennsylvania rye whiskeys, is proud to announce Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey, a unique collaboration between two masters of the distilling arts, Stoll & Wolfe head distiller Erik Wolfe and southern Indiana farmer distiller Alan Bishop (formerly of Spirits of French Lick). This whiskey is based upon an old colonial-era recipe and serves as a true testament to the journey of this noble spirit through America’s 250 years.
Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey draws its inspiration from a pamphlet written by Frederick Heinrich Gelwicks, an important piece of early American distilling lore from the late 1700s to early 1800s, documenting actual working recipes used by Pennsylvania distillers during that era. A recipe from that publication resulted in a whiskey with a unique grain combination of rye malt, wheat, rye, and oats, fermented with wild yeast and cheese culture, and aged in new American oak barrels at 105 proof.
“Collaborating on translating a nearly 300 century old recipe is a unique opportunity to explore the roots of our local distilling traditions by bringing this whiskey to life and allowing modern consumers to experience a spirit nearly lost to history,” said Erik Wolfe.
Wolfe and Bishop, sharing a fundamental distilling philosophy and ethos that values flavor over efficiency and also honors traditional production methods balanced against modern concerns, began collaboration on this whiskey back in 2023. The challenge for them was how to adapt for today’s distilling world a recipe of 1 bushel rye malt, 1 bushel wheat, 1 bushel rye, and 3 pecks of oats.
Sourcing heritage grains from Pennsylvania family farms, including the Kline farm that’s tied to Stoll & Wolfe, the two set out on an epic undertaking to recreate something few in the modern era would even consider. A testament to their combined creativity and fine attention to historical details, the expression is designed to give today’s whiskey drinker a glance at what was being enjoyed at the birth of a nation.
“Bringing the knowledge brought to Indiana by early PA Germans back East to PA is one of the highlights of my career,” said Alan Bishop. “That we stuck to the ideals of the colonial distillers while implementing modern technological advantages speaks to just how well versed in the art of distillation our forefathers were. To do such great work alongside Erik and Aviana is a rare opportunity!”
Besides these nods to the past, other elements of historical consideration were factored in as well, such as the addition of dried fruits during the distillation process and aging in a colonial-era tobacco farm. The Wolfe & Wilson straight rye, given all of this, presents itself as an authentic representation of a bygone era with legitimate colonial ties, explicitly differentiating it from more generic 250th anniversary products.
Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey, Batch 1, was aged a minimum of two years in new charred American oak before being bottled at 100 proof. The product name Wolfe & Wilson carries layered personal and historical significance, as “Wolfe” represents Erik’s surname (Wolfe), while “Wilson” is Alan’s mother’s maiden name.
Available at a price point of $80, only 1000 750 ml bottles of Batch 1 will be available starting July 4th through Stoll & Wolfe’s tasting room in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and online in the contiguous United States.
What Gary Says
Nose: Rye malt funk with a touch of oak, cinnamon, dried herbs like fennel and thyme with a hint of bay leaves.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, malted rye spice with herbal/savory spice notes, honey, orange zest, anise with pepper spice that crackles before fading.
Finish: Moderate in length with pepper spice giving way to honey, rye spice and Earl Grey tea.
Comments: First a word about a word: funk. That may sound odd or unflattering but it isn’t meant that way. Heck – ask someone what Laphroaig taste like, and wet band-aids are an apt description . . . from someone who loves Laphroaig (note – this is NOTHING like Laphroaig). The Whiskey Bard asked me if I’d ever had the chance to try colonial-era whiskey, and I’m thankful to say that I have (you can read my review of George Washington Rye here). This does remind me a bit of that; very unique! Now I’m not sure about the new oak aging (George Washington didn’t do that, but no one knows for sure where that started), but I’m focused more on what’s in the glass – and if you have not had a chance to try colonial-era whiskey, I would highly recommend it!
