What they say

We have a pioneering spirit here at Wilderness Trail Distillery, just like the settlers who followed the path Daniel Boone blazed into Central Kentucky. In keeping with our location in the birthplace of Kentucky, we like blending old traditions with the science of making Bourbon and other fine spirits.
After years of working with distilleries around the world to provide advice and fermentation products, we launched our premium craft distillery in 2012 with a focus on making the highest quality Bourbon, Rye Whiskey and Vodka. Our founders Shane Baker and Pat Heist are fermentation experts with more than 20 years of experience in the production of alcohol and some of the best brands on the market today. Our specialty is making unique spirits from locally-grown grains to ensure quality, and adding a healthy dose of science in the process. Come see what we mean by visiting Wilderness Trail Distillery.

Our Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskeys are offered as a Cask Strength release. Once our traditional sweet mash process is distilled in our column stills we enter the barrel at the lowest entry proof we know of in Kentucky. We barrel at 100 proof and 105 proof to highlight the balance of the distillate and alternate solubility expression we get from the barrel at a lower proof. We also barreled at a gradient of proofs between 100 and 120 proof for our first few years before settling into 100 and 105 proof. This is the reason you will find releases of our cask strength Rye varying in proof.

Our three-grain recipe is 56 percent rye, 33 percent corn and 11 percent malted barley. Our rye mash bill is one we created for a broader balance of flavor to offset the typical high ryes commonly found. We use Kentucky-grown Heritage rye from our local KY Proud farm. We enter the new, air-dried #4 char, 53-gallon barrels at 100 proof and 105 proof for our Rye Whiskey and age until maturity in our barrelhouse. We age our Rye Whiskeys on the upper floors of our rickhouses for a minimum of 4 years with regular expressions expected to be between 6 and 8 years of age.

Master of Malt tasting notes

• Nose: Solero ice cream, lemon curd and spiced dessert, with a helping of custard.
• Palate: Tobacco leads into chilli chocolate, orange peel and oak char, with some fragrant clove in there too.
• Finish: Orange oil and creamy vanilla notes.

What I say

Thanks again to Pour and Sip clubs 1st birthday I get to sample another new distillery from their fantastic celebratory set. This time it is Kentucky’s Wilderness Trail distillery and their Cask Strength Rye Whiskey.

To find out more about Pour and Sip whisky subscription club visit their website: https://pourandsip.com/

• ABV 51.5%
• Age NAS
• Bottler Official
• Bottling Cask Strength Rye
• Cask Virgin oak
• Category Rye whisky
• Cost £76.95
• Origin Wilderness Trail Distillery
• Outturn n/a
• Region Kentucky, USA
• Released 2021
• Vintage undisclosed

My tasting notes

• Appearance Autumnal golden brown (12/20) medium-fine teas and long legs.
• Nose Spiced and woody, ryebread, ‘pumpkin-spice’, cinnamon, herbal, sappy cedar wood, some honey and caramel sweetness.
• Taste Medium-bodied and a lot smoother than the nose suggests, rich caramel and creamy toffee, aniseed and five-spice powder, cigar boxes, tobacco leaf, cedar wood, later sweet and dry baking spices, maple syrup and pecan pie.
• Finish Long, touch mentholic and refreshing, sweet toffee apples and liqourice.
• Overall Incredibly drinkable as presented, not too spicy but full of woody herbal notes and sweet toffee, possibly the best Rye whiskey I have ever tasted!

Score 88/100

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