Brian’s Dry Fly Distilling Straight Triticale Whiskey Review:
02-February-2020
DRY FLY STRAIGHT TRITICALE WHISKEY REVIEW:
This is a good whiskey! It is not one I can compare to others I’ve enjoyed, as it is so different – the nose says one thing and the palate picks up something else – but it works. At 90 proof it’s not likely to hurt the more experienced drinker, yet it does offer a bit of a tickle. I would love to see other distillers begin using Triticale in their mash bills, but for now, Dry Fly Distilling has a solid product in this niche. If you are fortunate and see it on the shelf, buy, Buy, BUY!
DRY FLY DISTILLING STRAIGHT TRITICALE WHISKEY VITAL STATS:
– Category: Washington Straight Triticale Whiskey
– Region: Washington, USA
– Distillery: Dry Fly Distilling
– Mash Bill: 100% Triticale*
– (Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye, developed in Scotland in the 1800’s.)
– Cask: New 53-gallon oak barrels
– BARREL ENTRY PROOF: unpublished
– ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
– AGE*: 4 years
– Price: $36.95 USD in Idaho
*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:
Dry Fly Distilling’s Straight Triticale is warm and it is a bit floral and wheaty on the nose. I detected a faint undefinable berry nectar, with elements of fresh citrus and white peach fruit leather as well. Its spices of allspice, powdered ginger, and white pepper blend well with its yeasty bread dough component. Dry Fly’s Triticale Whiskey smells sweet with vanilla custard, simple syrup, and orange blossom honey, but it is simple and gentle, fresh and well blended and gives up hints of light oak.
PALATE:
This whiskey is warm on the palate and roof of the mouth. As I sip, fresh apple and raspberry nectar blend and come forward. It is a bit acidic with some nice fresh lemon zest which tames its red and yellow gourmet raisins, pepper and rye. While the nose has plenty of sweetness, in the mouth its flavors are more savory as elements of rye bread and simple syrup are most prevalent. This is a woody dram with plenty of hazy barrel spice and light notes of cedar with a little seasoned and spicy oak mixed in for good measure.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
The first several sips of this whiskey are unexpected and unusual after the sensations detected in the nose, but in no way unpleasant. In the mouth the juice is smooth but at the same time rough and gritty, and gives the palate an effervescent tickle. To the eye, its ill-defined crown gives way to long fat legs which return to the light russet-muscat colored pool.
FINISH
As the juice fades away, there is a welcome bite in which a bit of honey is well blended. Dry Fly Distilling Straight Triticale Whiskey’s other flavors dissipate fairly quick, but its tingling warmth lingers on and on. In the empty Glencairn, small amounts of oak drift in and out … first faint and undefined, then fresh sawn planks and piles of sawdust mix with nice caramely notes.
MY DRY FLY STRAIGHT TRITICALE RATING: 88/100
Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
To access other whiskeys with this score, click 88/100 .
Click Dry Fly to read my thoughts on other whiskey from this distillery.
DRY FLY STRAIGHT TRITICALE TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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