I’d like to thank Woodinville Whiskey for sending this sample with no strings attached.
I am having an experience today that is a complete first for me. As I write this, my puppy and I are listening to a group of men just destroy my kitchen. And I don’t mean like they are making a mess (though they are). They are doing the demo work for a kitchen remodel. New cabinets going in tomorrow means the old ones need to come out today. Honestly, I’ve fought this decision for almost twenty years, as I just never felt like spending the money. Well, when I got a sliver under my fingernail while opening a cupboard door on the same day that my silverware drawer fell apart and needed to be fixed (true story), I stopped fighting against what my wife has wanted for at least fifteen of the twenty years we’ve lived here. The house is over fifty years old, and those cabinets have been there the entire time. And they look it.
It’s the strangest thing. You really don’t understand just how many things live in your kitchen until you need to empty it and stash all those things in other rooms. Right now my stove is just out of commission, my dishwasher and kitchen table are on the deck hoping it doesn’t rain, and my refrigerator is in my living room. Every room in my house has kitchen stuff either in boxes or just stacked around on dressers and tables. It’s actually kind of stressful. Sometimes change is hard.
Though not always. For instance, Woodinville Whiskey now offering single-barrel, cask-strength bottles of bourbon and rye with national availability is a welcome change that causes no stress at all. Well, not for us anyway. I’m willing to bet there was just a touch of it amongst their leadership while getting this thing going. Here’s what one of those higher-ups had to say about it:
“We really wanted to elevate our single barrel program. I personally taste hundreds of barrels and pick only the best ones for this offering to ensure they are something very special. All of my selections are a minimum of 7 years old which really adds a tremendous amount of depth and character to the whiskey,” says Woodinville Co-Founder and Head Distiller, Brett Carlile.
Both the rye and bourbon will be aged seven years and will vary in proof from barrel to barrel. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle. They sent me a bottle of the 100% rye for review, so let’s get to the important part: how does it taste?
Woodinville Single Barrel 100% Rye Whiskey
Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $69.99.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67
Details: Barrel number: 12538. 58.77% ABV.
Nose: Mint, dill, stone fruit, chocolate, cola, and cedar.
Mouth: Sweet and spicy with notes of cedar, mint, chocolate, stone fruit, cinnamon, and honey.
Finish: Warm and long with notes of stone fruit, cinnamon, cedar, and cola.
Thoughts: If this is representative of the barrels they are offering for barrel picks, I will be looking for more as it rolls out to Minnesota. This is a lovely rye. I really love the stone fruit notes throughout. The fact that I initially thought "pickles" to myself on the nose and then "peaches" on the mouth and neither seemed weird just tells you how layered and complex the flavors are. I really dig this one. It's delicious.
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