Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Pure Rye Whiskey Single Barrel Cask Strength

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Pure Rye Whiskey
Single Barrel Cask Strength

53.5% ABV
$70
Website
Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Pure Rye Whiskey Single Barrel Cask Strength
We would like to thank Stoll & Wolfe Distillery and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Stoll & Wolfe recently released one of its most intriguing expressions to date: a single barrel Pure Rye Rye Whiskey that acts as the distillery’s unique interpretation of the historic Monongahela style. Crafted from a 100% rye mash bill of 80% Rosen rye and 20% malted rye, this whiskey is truly a must have offering for a number of reasons.

The all rye mash bill, rooted in historic, pre-Prohibition rye traditions, draws its locally grown Rosen rye from the Kline Family Farm, a 1741 heritage farm sharing direct family ties with the distillery team. Made through a sweet mash fermentation process, the art of crafting Pure Rye calls upon carefully considered production methods emphasizing spice, structure and grain character.

“Our Single Barrel Pure Rye is our homage to the historic Monongahela style,” said Erik Wolfe, co-founder and distiller at Stoll & Wolfe, “reflecting the methods and spirit of Pennsylvania rye, with a focus on bold spice, balance, and a distinctly regional character.”

Aged for approximately 34 months in a new, charred American oak barrel built from the finest in air-dried staves, this single barrel whiskey is bottled at a cask strength 107 proof. It showcases bold rye spice balanced by dark fruit on the nose, leading to a palate rich in black cherry, cocoa, marzipan and baking spices. The finish is dry and very well structured.

Priced at $70 per 750 ml bottle, the Stoll & Wolfe Pure Rye Whiskey is available now from the Stoll & Wolfe website, or available for pickup in the distillery’s tasting room. Future releases of this whiskey will be made available down the line when the distillery team feels they are ready to bottle.

What Gary Says

Nose: Figs, grilled peaches, mint, vanilla, a hint of tarragon and cloves.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel with figs, cherries, dark chocolate, pepper, cinnamon, mint, cloves, honey and vanilla.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with baking spices and cocoa.
Comments: I’ve long been a fan of 100% rye mashbills (and not a ton of them out there), but this is rather unique with 20% malted rye (not to mention the sweet mash; again – not a lot of that out in the market!) This is fruity, but not with the citrus lean that you often associate with rye. Only 34 months old, I enjoyed each sip and hope that they’re keeping some back to mature further. If you’re a rye fan, and looking for a unique pour – would recommend seeking a chance to try this!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Pure Rye Whiskey Single Barrel Cask Strength Read More »

Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Benriach The Thirty
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Four Cask Matured

46% ABV
$800-$900
Website
Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

This exquisite single malt has been crafted from peated spirit and four cask matured for at least thirty years in sherry casks, bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks and port casks from the Douro Valley. During long maturation Benriach’s sweet Speyside smoke mellows and integrates with the fruit, malt and oak. After thirty years, rich layering develops into sublime honeyed smoke, further enhanced through multi-layered cask maturation. The whisky from each cask type, imbued with particular flavour characteristics, is then expertly married together to create an exquisitely harmonious single malt, layered with dark fruits, rich walnut and velvety oak spice with a long, complex, smoked honey finish. All in perfect balance.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Mahogany
NOSE: Stewed plum, baked orange, smoked walnut and cinnamon cocoa
PALATE: Dark fruit, manuka honey and chocolate raisin, with a long and complex smoked honey finish
SMOKE LEVEL: Complex

RACHEL BARRIE – MASTER BLENDER: “The Thirty has an incredible intensity of flavour but also exceptional refinement. The deepest, richest expression of Benriach on every level.”

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruit notes with figs, raisins, currants, orange, leather, hint of smoke with a nuttiness.
Palate: Dark fruit notes of raisins and plums, honey, chocolate, peaches, cinnamon and a bit of peat smoke.
Finish: Long and damp with fruity floral notes, faint spice and just a wisp of smoke.
Comments: This is a quite nice, mature, and elegant single malt. With this kind of age, you expect depth and nuance which this delivers. With a few drops of water, the nose brings forward more orange notes and a bit of cedar, while on the palate the mouthfeel thickens and becomes creamier. All that said, it isn’t intense with the flavor – and the price point is ridiculous. But if someone is offering a pour, nothing objectionable in the glass – this is a nice dram to sit and ponder with.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Read More »

Glengoyne 25 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Glengoyne 25 Year Old Sherry Oak
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

48% ABV
$500-600
Website
Glengoyne 25 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

Matured exclusively in hand-selected sherry casks for a quarter of a century, this unique malt is an important addition to the Glengoyne collection. This bright amber beauty has red fruits, leather and brown sugar on the nose and soft oak, cinnamon, stewed fruits and a Seville marmalade tang on the palate. The finish is very long with spicy liquorice. The malt is presented in a new heavy bespoke bottle and outer box. The bottle features a fine metal stopper, crafted cartouche and delicately branded neck tag and is attractively displayed in an oak box interior which includes an engraved plinth. The elegant exterior has a refined feather pattern subtly varnished on the pack.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich and thick, deep fruit notes with figs, dates, apricots and raisins; soft worn leather with old books and a hint of cigar smoke.
Palate: Thick and syrupy mouthfeel, mincemeat pie with apples, figs and mandarin oranges; cinnamon, clove and a bit of anise.
Finish: Long and damp with cloves, anise, oak and a sour fruit note.
Comments: An absolute sherry bomb in all the right ways. All of the things you’d expect and hope for with 25 years in a sherried cask – that intense dark fruit flavors along with layers of complexity (not to mention a very respectable ABV). I hadn’t had a lot of Glengoyne (and in fact this is the first one I’ve reviewed on our site), but this is just a delightful and decadent offering.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

Glengoyne 25 Year Read More »

Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

54.7% ABV
$375-600
Website
Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022

What the Bottle Says

The First Editions – Aged in a Single Cask
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled at Cragganmore Distillery
1995
Speyside Region
This Single Cask Was Bottled 2022 Aged 26 Years

From This Single Malt Scotch Whisky Expect

A rich, fruity, slightly spicy nose with plums, cherries, walnuts and some leather. Spicy on the palate with cinnamon, some ginger, walnuts and dark chocolate-coated raisins, leading into a long peppery finish.

Bottled at Cask Strength, Non Chill Filtered, Not Couloured

Approved by Andrew Laing

One of 300 bottles from a Sherry Butt
HL19119
54.7% Alc by Vol
Edition Spirits LTD. G3 6AX 700 mL

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich with coffee cake, stewed plums, raisins, floral notes, earthy with citrus notes.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with fruitcake, raisins, figs, apples, pears, ginger, cinnamon and chili oil.
Finish: Moderately long and damp with dark fruit, bit of peat and chili oil.
Comments: Very interesting trying this alongside the Cragganmore 25 Year Limited Edition; you can definitely pick up on the familial resemblance (especially the chili oil note). This was otherwise more intensely flavored, and far more darker given the sherry butt maturation which isn’t a surprise. This also benefits from some time in the glass, and a bit of water which brings out notes of toffee on the nose and some dark chocolate notes on the palate..

Rating: Must Try

Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022 Read More »

Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

51.4% ABV
$375-600
Website
Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottle Says

Aged 25 Years
The Best of Speyside
Cragganmore
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Natural Cask Strength
An elegant, sophisticated Speyside with the most complex aroma of any malt. Astonishingly fragrant with rich dried fruits and a finely scented finish.

[Additional details found on various other websites indicate this was released in 2014 as part of Diageo Special Releases; distilled in 1988 and matured in refill American and European oak casks, with only 3,372 bottles released; my sample was from bottle 2,765.]

What Gary Says

Nose: Light, heather, floral, vanilla, honey, grassy with a hint of earthy mineral note and nylon rope.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, warming with vanilla custard, orange blossom honey, baked apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili oil.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with citrus and cracked pepper.
Comments: This is a nice, nuanced single malt. It definitely benefits from some time in the glass.  I also preferred it with a few drops of water, which brought out notes of tangerines on the nose and thickened the mouthfeel as it tamped the spicier edges (and brought more citrus to the party). I tried this alongside another Cragganmore offering of similar age (26 year old), and this was noticeably lighter in color.

Rating: Stands Out

Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition Read More »