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:
– 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.
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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