Brian’s Dry Fly 101 Review:
written on 30-September-2019
DRY FLY 101 REVIEW:
I rarely write a review when the stopper of a new whiskey is popped, but do make a few mental notes while enjoying a dram or two. Such was the case after Dry Fly Straight Washington Bourbon 101 Whiskey (Dry Fly 101) was opened. I remember thinking this was a good one and when I the cork was pulled again, it was with GREAT anticipation. The reward: Dry Fly 101 ticks all my boxes: aromatic, subtle sweetness, heat, and earthy oak. While challenging to find, I highly recommend this whiskey.
DRY FLY 101 VITAL STATS:
– Region: Washington, USA
– Distillery: Dry Fly Distilling
– Category: Straight Bourbon
– Mash Bill: 55% Corn, 45% Triticale: (Triticale is a wheat/rye hybrid, first bred during the late 1800’s in German and Scottish laboratories.)*
– Cask; new 53-gallon oak barrels
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 50.5% (101 Proof)
– Age: 4 years*
– Price: $36.95 USD in Idaho
*Data from https://dryflydistilling.com/
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, I shared the whiskey neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
DRY FLY 101 NOSE:
Dry Fly 101’s sweet wheat, hints of ripe dark berries, sweet Rainer cherries and fresh cut green apples smothered in soft caramel waft from the Glencairn. Its spice comes in as faint cinnamon and rich vanilla hidden in crescent roll dough. The sweetness of maple sugar and buttery toffee is an added treat as it mixes with regal toasted and spicy barrel notes of new oak. Dry Fly 101’s aroma has so many scents, it is difficult to discern them all before a first draw is demanded.
DRY FLY 101 PALATE:
Upon entering the mouth the liquid glides back to provide the throat with a lingering burn, much more than one might expect from 101 proof. Few of the aromas pass to the palate but once the heat is mastered, the mash peeks in: corn and subtle wheat, but now rye shines. Plentiful and well blended allspice and black pepper nearly mask the vanilla before providing an intensely earthy, toffee-like barrel of heavy and strong spicy oak. If this is the trick of Triticale, more distillers should experiment with the grain. It works: the mouth salivates for more.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Dry Fly 101 is a dangerous and inviting balance of aromas, heat and sweet. A big viscous mouthfeel first bites then fades to a pleasant throat tickle. Long quick dropping legs leave an up-side-down crown clinging to the inside of the Glencairn. Then hey fall back into the auburn and polished mahogany coloured pool.
DRY FLY 101 FINISH:
When the liquid is swallowed, pepper and rye linger then give way to a tickling burn in the throat. There is an idea of confection, but from what … bittersweet chocolate? As the glass is emptied, earthy heavy oak wafts from the Glencairn.
MY DRY FLY 101 RATING: 89/100
Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? YES
I ALWAYS have a bottle of Dry Fly 101 on my shelf. This bourbon is a regular in my rotation.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
To access other whiskeys with this score, click 89/100.
Click Dry Fly to read my thoughts on other whiskey from this distillery.
DRY FLY 101 TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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