Dry Fly Port Finish Review

Hannah’s Dry Fly Port Finish Review

Original review written on December 31, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This one is bursting from the bottle in memories, and I am extremely pleased. If you like fruity flavors and don’t mind a little sweetness, grab yourself a bottle! Read on for my full Dry Fly Port Finish Review here! 91/100

VITALS:
Dry Fly Port Finish Bottle

– Made In: Spokane, Washington, USA
– Distiller: Dry Fly Distilling
– Classification: Port-barrel Finish Washington Whiskey; Twice distilled
– Age: 3 yrs. plus an additional 6-12 months in huckleberry infused port barrels*
– Mash Bill: 100% local soft white wheat from eastern Washington
– Casks: New 53-gallon American oak barrels; Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 45% (90 proof)
– Price: $36.95 USD in Idaho
*Port barrels are from neighbor Townshend Cellar in Washington, which produces huckleberry port. The juice that goes into the port barrels is the Dry Fly Straight Wheat Whiskey.

Find more information about this whiskey on dryflydistilling.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat on New Year’s Eve 2019 from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this whiskey here!

SETTING:

This one is full of memories – standing in an old two-story winery with the tastings on the second floor. Little dried huckleberries in custom packaging are like candy and every sense, from sight to smell is overflowing with a perfect, cozy warmth.

Photo by Daniel Vogel on Unsplash

NOSE:

At a gentle 90 proof, you aren’t likely to get hurt on this one. I’m met instantly with a wheat-y sweetness that has a fruit lingering just behind – likely the huckleberry from the port barrels. This glass in particular happens to be the last of the bottle; I remember the huckleberry being much more prominent in the first pours, but at bottle’s end, this is still enjoyable. I find a little milk chocolate and very little spice. The oak is also sweet, yet still managing to be warming.

PALATE:
Dry Fly Port Finish Glass

– Mouth Feel: Rough and gritty with a lot of weight to it. Love it!
– Balance: The fruit may be too much for some, but I think there’s enough spice to make for a nice blend.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, there is a nonexistent crown, but there are long, clinging legs present.

– Taste: Juicy huckleberries are immediately apparent along with the unaggressive bite of black pepper and ginger, but there it is strong enough to cut through the fruit. Nevertheless, this is a sugary whiskey that I can imagine being too much for some, like my father. I, personally, am enthralled by it.

The straight wheat of the mash bill is present as well, making for a rough breadiness, which results in a wheat toast with huckleberry jam in a bottle. Y-U-M.

A Kentucky chew livens the alcohol, making the fruit even spicier and leaving the mouth feeling tingly and warm. The oak is there, but just as an undertone that blends the other flavors really well.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long; I feel a lingering warmth that hovers in the upper chest.
– Between Sips: I remember huckleberries giving me a lasting impression in earlier pours, but now the bite of black pepper and ginger mingle at the back of the throat as well.

– No More: All of the flavors intensify the further into the glass I get, along with the addition of some cherries that are still very sweet. The spice is still there too, keeping the warmth alive and well.

The empty Glencairn is a sweet oak sawdust with the huckleberry still – miraculously – sticking around. I enjoy this one start to finish every pout … Now, to buy another bottle.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Absolutely. I’d like to keep this one around on the shelf for sure.

RATING: 91/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

To access other whiskies with this rating, click 91/100.
Click Dry Fly to read my thoughts on other whiskey from this distillery.

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Brian’s Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat Whiskey Review

Brian’s Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat Whiskey Review

original review written on 25-July-2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

I have been intrigued with the idea of “finishing” bourbon in old wine barrels ever since I first heard of 1792’s Port and Angel’s Envy releases a couple of years ago.  And as a fan of wheaters, I thought it would be a nice marriage.  I’ve enjoyed Dry Fly Straight Wheat Whiskey, so when I saw this iteration on the shelf, I secured a bottle for the bunker.

But how does one rate such a thing?  Strictly speaking, the juice is whiskey, but this confection is unlike anything else I have tasted.  Dry Fly’s Port Finish Wheat is good – maybe even better than good – but I would not want more than a couple of ounces at any one time as it is quite sweet.  Is there such a thing as a “dessert whiskey”? Read the Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat Whiskey Review here!

DRY FLY PORT FINISH WHEAT VITAL STATS:
Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat Whiskey Review Bottle

– Region: Spokane, WA, USA
– Distiller: Dry Fly Distilling
– Classification: Straight Whiskey
– Mash bill: 100% local soft white wheat from eastern Washington
– Process: Twice distilled
– Age: 3 years plus another 6-12 months in the huckleberry-infused port barrels
– Casks: New 53-gallon American Oak barrels
– Barrel Char: #3
– ABV: 45 (90 Proof)
– Price: $34.95 USD in Idaho
– No batch or bottle number identifiers

From the Dry Fly website: “Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat Whiskey is the same whiskey as our Washington Wheat, aged 3+ years in American Oak and then moved to a Port Wine barrel for an average of 6-12 months. It has a soft port finish and a slightly higher tannin level from the port barrel.

“Dry Fly utilizes port barrels obtained from Townshend Cellar, a neighbor … in Washington who produces Huckleberry Port. The port … offers ‘aromas of dried black currant, huckleberry, fig and black cherry with a hint of licorice.  The huckleberry, chocolate, coffee and black currant linger with a long satisfying finish.'”

Data from dryflydistilling.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

Fresh ripe huckleberry explodes from the bottle even before the juice is nosed in the Glencairn.  Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat has a distinct, deep, red wine fruitiness and packs a Port punch.  Further nosing brings soft wheat, figs, red grapes, plums as well as dried prunes, and raisins.  There are hints of mulling spices, sweet, yet slightly citrusy vanilla, and bursts of maple which mix with an ever-so-slight touch of oak. 

PALATE:

On the tongue, sweet syrupy dessert wine dominates and hides any acidic tones of whiskey.  The wheat base adds smoothness.  This is a fruity juice: berries, dates, figs, ripe grapes, plums, and loads of plump, gourmet raisins.  As noted on the nose, mulling spices and maple sugar sweetness coats the tongue.

Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat Whiskey Review Glass

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat is a loaded and well-balanced fruit train and has a port-style mouthfeel which coats the tongue in syrupy goodness.  The slight whiskey heat is a welcome addition to the rich and smooth creaminess.  The juice clings to the inside of the Glencairn in oily sheets.

In a glass (and in the bottle), this wheat looks darker than most others, taking on a reddish, copper hue.

FINISH:

Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat has a short finish but offers a lasting warmness of huckleberry syrup infused with spices of nutmeg and cloves.

MY RATING: 85/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
But it won’t be a must have in the bunker.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 85/100 to access other whiskeys with this score. However, this whiskey should not be selected in place of these or other drinks.  Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat stands in its own light.
Click Dry Fly to read my thoughts on other whiskey from this distillery.

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Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review

Hannah’s Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review

Original review written October 21, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A cabernet steeped oak corkscrew sitting at the bottom of a bottle is just exciting. The cab is all over the nose, but the whiskey makes its balanced debut on the palate. Very pleased! Read my Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review here! 90/100

VITALS:
Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review

– Made in: Texas, USA
– Distiller: sourced (curated from notable distilleries across U.S., mainly MGP)*
– Classification: Small Batch finished bourbon whiskey
– Age: 2 yrs. in new oak barrels
– Mash Bill: Corn=60%; Rye=36%; Barley=4%*
– Casks: char undisclosed (spire char: medium toast*)
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 45% (90 proof)
– Batch #0002; Bottle #0624
– Availability: TX, OK, LA, CO, KY, MI, TN
– Price: $60.00 USD in Idaho
– Infusion: 5 inch long spiral cut piece of French oak. Spire rest in Marker Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon for 4-8 weeks before placed in the bottle*

*To learn more visit Oak & Eden website oakandeden.com

DISCLOSURE:

This bottle was kindly gifted to our Dawson household for reviewing purposes by Oak & Eden. While my father and I very gratefully and happily accept this bottle into the collection, the reviews and opinions of this spirit are honest and unbiased.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this whiskey here!

SETTING:

Enjoyable at any time/place, this spirit likely shines that much more under the twinkling lights ornamenting a Christmas tree on Christmas day. The feast is being prepared and joyous warmth and love make the comfort of home potent and peaceful.

Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash

NOSE:

The first several inhales bring about a very soft, velvety texture to the nose. The classic whiskey burn is not present, likely due to the cab’s disembodied present. The rich depth of a red wine, however, still manages to create a warming sensation on the nose that leaves me going back for more of that dark powerhouse of a grape. Never before have tannins been so apparent in a whiskey before.

Little spice is there (cloves?) which is somewhat surprising to me given the high rye content. This smells old, but in a “wizened-with-age” kind of way. VERY pleasant.

The oak is very present and in just the right capacity to marry together dark fruit whiskey flavors and chocolate to the regal cab grape.

Photo taken by Whiskey For the Ages

PALATE:

-Mouth Feel: Silk, velvet… any adjective for soft is applicable. Wine-like.
– Balance: Very balanced; all flavors are in just the right dose.
– Visual: A dark brown sherry color, there is a CLINGING crown with fat droplets that turn to clinging legs far beneath the crown.

– Taste: This spirit is just as soft as soft can be, especially in the mouth feel, but even the alcohol burn is gentle and dare I say, a bit snuggle. Dark fruits, such as the heavy wine graph, warm huckleberry and overripe plum just bloom.

The longer wait between sips transforms those fruits further into an explosive purple firework with pops of rich cloves to play off of.

A Kentucky chew reminds me further that this IS whiskey, but there is a brown sugar or gingerbread cookie element that accompanies an unaggressive black pepper heat. There also seems to be a twinge of salt that’s binded to another flavor I can’t quite put my finger on, but it so nicely puts a bow on the rest of the flavor package that I’m okay with a little unsolved mystery for once.

The oak is soft, again, just a lovely platform for the other flavors to spring from.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: The finish is not incredibly long, but the warmth sticks around just at the back of the throat. Otherwise, it’s relatively short.

– No More: The last sips are very reminiscent of the mouth feel of a wine, particularly a cabernet. The taste stays constant throughout the glass, and I’m not complaining.

The empty Glencairn smells of spicy oak, contrary to my initial guess of a round, wine cork-esque oak. Still enjoyable, but I’m a little sad at the loss of the full oak I was expecting.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Yes

RATING: 90/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.

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