Grand Traverse Islay Rye

Here’s another interesting extra sample that found its way to me- via Paul, with our fourth round of distillery samples. It’s a somewhat local, craft distillery in Michigan. Grand Traverse Islay Rye whiskey is an homage to Scottish Islay peated, single malts. I believe they used 20% peated barley in the blend in hopes to offer up a smoky version of a rye whiskey. This comes in at 90 proof (45% ABV), is non-chill filtered and has no artificial color added (of course). It’s a shiny, new penny copper in the glass and based on the numerous water droplets that formed after spinning the Glencairn- the cask strength must’ve been pretty high and needed to be seriously cut with water just to get it down to 45%. The nose is so wacky: obviously there is plenty of oak spices, rye bread and pepper. The part that really threw me for a loop was the crazy, dill pickle brine that just shocked my system and made me a bit wary to move in for a sip, lol. There was an underlying earthy note here, too and that made me ponder what I think may have happened here. More on that below... Thankfully the pickle brine did not make an appearance on the tongue, at all. I think I would’ve gagged had that been this dram’s opening statement. Instead, it was all traditional rye whiskey notes: pepper, cinnamon, and raw oak. The mouthfeel was somewhat oily, which is something I don’t expect with a rye. The finish was all oak and rye bread, while being pleasantly hot and mouthwatering. It was medium in length and lingered for a bit. My theory- and that’s all that this is- is that the Islay barley may not have been dried using kiln-fired peat, but I’m thinking that it was just that the barley was grown in the peated soil. There was no smoke to speak of so that supports my theory, while if it was grown in peated soil that explains the earthiness found on the nose. Or hell, maybe the guys at the distillery just spilled a bottle of vinegar into the bottling line, haha. It’s hard to give this one a proper score. The taste and finish were typical rye, but that nose is so weird. I’m not a big fan of rye whiskey in general, so my score is naturally gonna be a bit low. Thanks again, Paul. It was an interesting addition to say the least. Lol, cheers.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to grab a couple bottles of this very limited release from Grand Traverse Distillery, located in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, my home state. Islay Rye is a rye whiskey made from 80% Michigan grown rye and 20% peated malted barley from the U.K. There is no age statement, but per the distillery this is a hair under 5 years old. This is a single barrel that is only available at their 4 tasting rooms in Michigan and only sold in 375mL bottles. Bottled at 45% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of copper/amber. The nose starts off with heavy rye and oak. Time is really needed here. Warm rye bread/caraway seeds. A good amount of mint and dill with some sawdust mixed in there. Apples, pears, cinnamon and some vanilla. Lots of butterscotch and some caramel. No real smoke to it like you would expect, but some earthy notes. Cardboard, toasted coconut and a distinct fennel note. A little sweet citrus comes through, oranges with dark chocolate. More butterscotch and a slight bubblegum note. Spice cake, and for the briefest of moments I picked up on curry powder or turmeric. Nice complexity, but needs more of a peaty presence to justify its name. The palate starts with spicy rye, but not too intense. It’s not so much peat smoke as there is a charred wood sensation with burnt out embers. Oak, mint and dill. Slightly floral/ herbal. A little malted barley and more warm rye. Toasted coconut and cardboard. Cinnamon, clove and butterscotch. A nice whiskey for such a small distillery. Light to medium bodied mouthfeel that is mouth coating but fairly dry. The finish is medium long, dry with rye, mint and toasted oak. This is a very drinkable rye. While I feel the peated barley content should be in the 30-40% range to help add the smoky component I was hoping for, the barley that’s in there surely helps to temper the rye. At $50 for 375mL, I can’t say it’s really worth the price, but given that it’s a single barrel release that only comes around every few years, I’m glad I bought 2 bottles. I’m especially happy that I only had to drive an hour to their closest tasting room, vs the 5 hours it would have taken me to get to the distillery! A solid 4. Cheers

It’s still cold here. Patriots crushed the Chargers (was it really even a game?). Ribeye is cooking. Wood stove burning. Beck is playing on the stereo. A rye would be a perfect aperitif. From the collection of backlogged samples from the SDT, @Generously_Paul provided this extra and now is the time I finally get to it (yes I know I am far behind, but I will one day finish all) The color is that of copper penny. A beautiful color. It’s definitely a rye. Rye, dill, pumpernickel are immediate. There is an odd note that is tough to pin down but I can only associate it a chlorinated cleanser. It’s faint but creates a slight overall funk. There is some butterscotch, peppercorns, oak. The collective aromas do dissipate quickly, but the dominant rye and pumpernickel remains. The initial sip is hot and peppery. As the palate adjusts to the medium weighted creamy texture, you can start to isolate flavors. An odd mixture of Butterscotch, dill, brine, rye, dry cinnamon, cloves and a bit of charcoal. But the oddity works well together. As time moves forward, the blending of flavors better fall into balance. An discernible improvement from the initial sip. The finish is all oak, butterscotch and cinnamon. A hint of spearmint on the backend. I nice warming sensation throughout the body makes this a perfect dram on a crisp and cold clear evening. It is hard to find ryes that are approachable and sippable. More so, in my opinion, than any other whiskey variety. This one is one of those that is quite sippable. It took awhile, but patience is well rewarded. A fine rye whiskey. Thanks again Paul. [88/100][Tasted: 1/13/19]

The peat is gentle and also smooths out the rye. The peat shows most in the finish and is very mellow and not ashy or medicinal at all. Sweet smoke lingers. Ultimately may not be spicy or peaty enough for Rye fanatics and Islay fanatics, but I think it's very well balanced and tasty!

The best I tasted from the distillery. Really smooth and lots of smokiness. The cost is the biggest downfall. $39.95/375 ml.

smooth, smokey presence, strong and sweet rye with lasting finish