Catcher’s Rye Whiskey
Catcher’s Rye Whiskey
49.4% ABV
$50
Website
What the Distillery Says
Distilled from 100% Michigan rye and pure water from the Great Lakes, Catcher’s Rye is a testament to the grain’s distinctive terroir. Each drop is artfully produced and aged for a minimum of two years in traditional, charred new American oak 53 gallon barrels. With delicious spice notes and a subtle fig finish, Catcher’s Rye proves there is no substitute for time or proportion. This is a labor of love, accept no phonies.
What Gary Says
Nose: Bright, intense rye spice with fresh mint, caraway seeds, blood oranges with a squeeze of lemon, dill, hints of tarragon and thyme with a wisp of smoke.
Palate: Rich mouthfeel, orange marmalade on rye toast, cinnamon sprinkles with allspice, hints of ginger, a bit of pepper and faint anise near the end.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with citrus spice.
Comments: This is a pretty intense rye. My first impression of the nose was that this was a young rye, as I find many young ryes have that intensity and pop on the nose – but when I sipped it; completely exceeded my expectations. I reached out to Two James distillery with some questions, and was delighted when David Landrum -the founder – took the time to provide a detailed response! Here’s a summary of what David shared:
Mashbill: 100% Michigan Rye (specifically a northern variety: Hazlet)
ABV at Still: Between 65-70% (note that this is lower than many larger distillers, who are coming off closer to the maximum allowed limit for bourbon at 80%)
Barrels: We only use large format (minimum 53 gallon) oak barrels with varying char levels, mostly #3 and #4
Age: We have no age statement on our rye at the moment but everything released is between 4-6 years.
Maturation: Barrels are aged in a rickhouse on the farm where we grow the grain, non temperature controlled
Many rye whiskies are what I’d call ‘barely legal ryes’, meaning that their mashbill is 51% rye with a fairly high corn content. Four Roses has a rye bourbon mashbill that has 35% rye, so these are closer to that than to a 100% rye mashbill. Corn brings a lot of sweetness to the party, and David was looking for to “create an assertive whiskey”. I’d say he certainly succeeded.
Frequent readers (all 6 of you) are aware that I’m not a fan of what is often referred to as ‘craft whisk(e)y’, because candidly too many of them cut corners with smaller barrels. I really appreciate Two James not taking this course, and more than that – for producing a delicious rye whisk(e)y. If someone had poured this for me blind and asked what I thought, the word ‘craft’ wouldn’t have entered my thought process. Sure, you’re paying a premium because of the smaller scale, but if I still lived in Michigan where this is easier to find, I’d have no problem keeping a bottle on hand. And if you’re a rye whiskey devotee, I’d strongly encourage you to seek this out!
