Founded in 2011, New York Distilling Company are based in Brooklyn and share a founder with the more famous Brooklyn Brewery. Although it is still a relatively new company, it is amongst the older distilleries in New York, due mainly to prohibitive distillation licensing costs that had existed since the prohibition era. These laws changed in 2002, with the price dropping from over $50,000 to less than $2000. They distill a range of gins and rye whiskey. Today, we sample and review the Ragtime Rye – a nod to American Whiskey’s historical association with music and bars.
Price: £40-50
ABV: 45.2%
Appearance: Deep reddish brown, from three years of barrel ageing.
Aroma: The nose is creamy, full of rich maraschino cherry fruit, black peppery spice and ageing dusty wood.
Taste: Initially, a big hit of maple syrup sweetness and oakey, floral wood polish type notes,
Then big fruity cherry and cream notes, mix with earthy, minty vegetal flavours.
Warming, spreading black pepper spice that coats the top of your mouth and spreads, dropping down the back of the mouth and leaves behind a creamy, tannic dryness.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, fruity, but spicy and tannic.
Overall: This is a both a usual and unusual rye. It has many of the cherry fruit and spicy flavours that you would expect from a rye, but there are other flavour notes that would be more commonly associated with bourbon. When I tried it the first time, I enjoyed the dram and described it as being “Like a cherry bakewell that has been brutalised by an ancient oak rolling pin, then sprinkled with black pepper and cinnamon”. If this is something that intrigues you then give it a go…
Real Dram Factor: 7.2
Source: a Maverick Tweet Tasting
More Information: http://www.nydistilling.com/spirits/
Buy Online: Master of Malt – £45.95 or Amazon – £45.95