Another day another rye whiskey review, specifically the Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey; I’m excited to get into this one. Not only is it one of the most requested distilleries for me to check out, but it’s also a distillery I’m incredibly interested in because they don’t exactly do the same-old-same-old over there.
For starters, they only do a sweet mash which, without the reused backset, is like starting over with each run. A brave and interesting choice. They also use a low entry proof and do a lot of experimenting with yeast. None of which is totally new in the distilling world, but rather unique for a craft producer to be hitting all of these right out of the gate. This is a new kid to watch for sure.
Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Wilderness Trail
Mash Bill: 56% Rye, 33% Corn, 11% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 4 Years
ABV: 55%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Barrel: 15C1020A
Bottle: 249/277
Price: $60
Tasting Notes
EYE
Ruddy oak
NOSE
Oak, butterscotch, baking spice, leather, pepper, dried fruit, copper, grain sweetness and a only a whisper of that crafty-woody essence.
PALATE
Oak, dried dark fruit, cocoa, olde candy, orange zest, angel food cake and bits of cereal sweetness, tannic bitterness and herbal notes.
FINISH
Medium-long-> Oak, fruit and spice.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good sense of balance, medium-full body and a warm oily feel.
Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey – Overall
Tasty! The fact they’re starting here, but plan to mature another 2-4 years on top of this, is fantastic. A killer way to start in the market.
Aroma is nicely done with a warm delivery of everything you want from a rye whiskey with only a hint of that pungent craft note that plagues so many young distilleries; Palate opens up to a bit more cakey and fruity notes with a strong high-quality-candy-like sweetness – the kind that use real sugar and a shortlist of easy to pronounce ingredients; Finish is your standard oaked spice and fruit rye whiskey affair.
Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey – Final Thoughts and Score
I like what Wilderness Trail is doing with their sweet mash approach, their multiple yeast strain approaches and their test-and-learn approach. These folks are the nerdy embodiment of what craft whiskey could and should be. I think the only ones nerdier than them are the mad scientists over at Corsair.
These folks are the example of what the craft movement could be and, alongside other great distillers like New Riff, achieve. If you’re looking for a unique rye profile from a smaller producer then I recommend Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey, it’s a high-quality product that will only going to keep getting better.
SCORE: 3.5/5
Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey Review $60
Overall
3.5- Nose (3.5)
- Palate (3.5)
- Finish (3.5)
- BBF (3.5)
User Review
0 (0 votes) Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)Summary
There is no reason craft whiskey has to taste bad and Wilderness Trail is proof of that. Take the time to learn and do it right and you’ll end up with something that can rival the big guys.
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