Draft #8: Ryecentric

I love the spicy intensity of rye, especially when balanced with the right amount of sweetness.  High West’s A Midwinter Nights Dram port cask finished rye is a favorite go-to winter sipper for me. 

Where Draft #5 celebrates Single Malt, Draft #8 puts rye front and center.  I began with the Solera (3%) I started with Draft #6 and added  seventeen ryes to make up just over  41% of the total volume.  Whiskeys from California, Nevada, Virginia and Missouri lead the pack here. I backed off on the percentage of American Single Malt (less than 18%) and dialed up a few of the sweeter whiskeys, including New Jersey’s Sorgho and some corn-based bourbons, to achieve the sweet and spicy balance I sought.  (47% ABV)

On 1/30/21 I created Draft #8.5 that fuses Draft #8 and Draft #9, a combination that reflects the best characteristics both rye AND bourbon.