Hannah’s Dry Fly Straight Triticale Whiskey Review
Original review written February 1, 2020
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Immediately recognizable to me as a Dry Fly product, Straight Triticale is a fun whiskey with plenty of popping and exciting flavors to sample. Read my Dry Fly Straight Triticale Whiskey Review here! 88/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Spokane, Washington, USA
– Distiller: Dry Fly Distilling
– Classification: Washington Straight Triticale Whiskey
– Age: 4 yrs.
– Mash Bill: 100% triticale*
– Casks: New 53-gallon oak barrels
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 45% (90 proof)
– Price: $36.95 USD in Idaho
*Triticale is a hybrid of rye of wheat that was invented in Scotland in the 1800’s.
Visit dryflydistilling.com for more information.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this whiskey here!
SETTING:
With the sweetness of funnel cake in the air, the sounds of laughter and carnival games cloud your senses and put you into a tranquil daze. It’s a summer afternoon at your local fair and the excitement under your skin is boiling; a fun-filled day is ahead. Go and enjoy it! Save some cotton candy for me!
Photo by ckturistando on Unsplash
NOSE:
The dram offers a very soft wheaty and malty blend on the nose, and overall, it is gentle and sweet. Contributing to this sweetness, I find light fruit blossoms and dried cherries and apricots, but I can’t pinpoint the exact fruit. Despite knowing that rye is included in a triticale blend, it and any other potential spices are undetectable.
The alcohol is almost un-perceivable to me, no matter how deeply I inhale. Such deep inhales grant me a yeasty component of a sweet dough, but it doesn’t seem to have been baked. It is almost cake-y almost like an orange sponge.
Sweet flavors continue to abound with honey and a light, LIGHT vanilla eventually emerging. The sweetness is even in the wood, which I would say has the soft and gentle notes much like pine.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Warming and clinging, yet somehow also viscous as the same time.
– Balance: Unusual in a good way – fresh but dense, bright but cozy.
– Visual: Russet in color, and it produces a lovely crown with clinging droplets just underneath.
– Taste: The rye comes out here on the taste, much like a bread, and it is infused with both dried peach and apricot. It’s a bit tangy, and this is something I attribute to the yeast of the bread, which pops out at the tail end of the sip.
While it is bready, I would still say this is cake-y too; however, it is not the orange sponge of the nose. Instead, I taste a fried funnel cake, doused in confectioner’s sugar and honey. This flavor is quite loud now that I’ve noticed it, but as I work my way around it, there is the sweetness of applesauce waiting.
Still minimal spice (cinnamon?), aside from the rye breadiness I first tasted, but the cake flavor seems to be stronger than that bread component.
The oak is pleasant, being sweet and light, as though I’m chewing on a plank of it.
With a Kentucky chew, malt comes through strongly, but the alcohol still does not hurt.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Medium-long. Both the flavors and the warmth linger very pleasantly, but I have had much more commanding whiskeys pack a longer punch.
– Between Sips: Funnel cake and apricots are the dominating flavors between sips, which leaves the mouth watering and slightly tangy, ready for the next sip.
– No More: The whiskey stays sweet, but overall, the warmth takes over and the fruity, tangy essence continues to cling and settle nicely in the belly. This one certainly pleases to the end. I almost want to pour another glass.
The empty Glencairn continues to be sweet, and it offers up a honeyed oak aroma that just makes me smile.
WORTH THE PRICE?
At under $40, it’s hard to go wrong with any Dry Fly Distilling product, and I’ll happily repurchase this when given the opportunity. However, it is going to be a whiskey that I will have to be in a certain mood for.
RATING: 88/100
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To access other whiskies with this rating, click 88/100.
Click Dry Fly to read my thoughts on other whiskey from this distillery.
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