Rock & Rye

2011

Spirits Review: Dry Fly Washington Bourbon

by Dennis on Aug.09, 2011, under Bourbon, Product Reviews

Dry Fly is a distillery that seems to be bound and determined to push the envelope while still retaining the highest standards possible. Every product they have released has been distilled to a fantastic level of quality, while breaking out of the molds that most seem bound and determined to stay in. They have a vodka that is not flavorless, a gin that includes hops and apple in the botanicals, and a whiskey made from winter wheat.

This last weekend marked the Seattle release of Dry Fly’s newest product, a 101 proof Bourbon distilled from corn, unmalted wheat, and barley, and as luck would have it, I happened to be driving though Seattle right as it went on sale. Unfortunately for those who were not in Seattle or Spokane for the releases, all 480 bottles were sold within hours, and I am told that the next release is not until late next year. But, back to the bourbon.

This is not your average bourbon, perhaps having more in common with your great-great-grandpappy’s bourbon. Aged for only three years, this golden liquid is bold and in your face. The aromas are packed with spices and a faint oakiness. On the tongue, you get big sweet flavors of caramel and vanilla, the alcohol hiding in the fringes, despite the hefty proof. The flavors fade out with a long spicy finish laced with cinnamon and oak. All in all, a fantastic bourbon that will only continue to improve with age. Cheers to Don, Kent, Patrick, and the whole Dry Fly family for another fantastic product!

***Update***
Today the first bottle of Dry Fly Bourbon ever produced, sold at an eBay charity auction benefiting the Spokane chapter of Ronald McDonald House Charities for $2650!

Drink Spirits Bourbon Review

*****

2011

Dry Fly has always walked to the beat of its own drum, and that’s a good thing.  Dry Fly’s Vodka, Gin, and Washington Wheat Whiskey all stand out in their categories as examples of unique offerings with distinct and unconventional flavor profiles.  The one common theme that has run through all of Dry Fly’s products is quality.  Dry Fly is fairly unyielding when it comes to their ingredients: everything they put in their bottle is local, and everything they use comes from a source they have a direct relationship with. This myopic focus on quality is emblematic of some of the very best of America’s artisan distillers.

Dry Fly Washington Bourbon 101 (101 proof $64.95) is a three year old whiskey made from Washington corn, unmalted wheat, and barley.  Golden amber in color, the Dry Fly Washington Bourbon has a nice spicy nose that brings together cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, oak, and caramel. The entry is very flavorful with big vanilla and caramel that hit the palate right out of the gate. The mouthfeel is simply fantastic, soft without being fatty with just a hint of elegance to it. Things open up considerably in the mid palate with some fantastic spice that balances out the sweet tones in the bourbon, including cinnamon, clove, and oak. The heat begins to come through at the end of the mid palate and leads to a fantastic long, sweet, and spicy finish. There’s no question that this is a younger bourbon, but how Dry Fly has managed to pull a level of complexity and sophistication out of such a young spirit is absolutely beyond us.

Dry Fly Washington Bourbon isn’t like a lot of the other bourbons on the market, and that’s a good thing.  The opportunity for craft distillers to innovate and create new expressions in this category is vast, and Dry Fly has seized the bull by the horns with one of the most exciting bourbon releases of the year.

The first batch of Dry Fly’s Washington Bourbon only comprised of 480 bottles, most of which were sold out the distillery door within hours. Dry Fly has made several bottles of this bourbon available through an Ebay charity auction in conjunction with the Spokane Chapter of the Ronald McDonald House.   Highest Recommendation

About.com

2011

Dry Fly Distilling, located in the scenic town of Spokane Washington, is nationally renowned for their hand crafted spirits. With a true farm to table philosophy, Dry Fly only uses products from Washington state to make their line of award winning vodka, gin and whiskies. Their newest addition to the lineup is the highly anticipated release of Washington state’s first bourbon. Expected to hit the market in time for the Christmas shopping season, Dry Fly bourbon will be in short supply once enthusiasts get a chance to taste this whiskey.

Nose

At two and a half years old, Dry Fly bourbon has a soft, elegant nose with hints of Madagascar vanilla emerging from a veil of warm oak notes. With a mash bill of 60% corn, 20% barley and 20% wheat, this whiskey is designed to be complex and yet eminently approachable.

Body and Palate

Dry Fly bourbon has a surprisingly pleasant mouthfeel given its relative youth. In the glass, a certain viscosity is evident, leaving a trail of “legs” down the side of the glass in whiskey parlance, a sure sign of quality and craftsmanship.

On the palate, Dry Fly bourbon is a bold whiskey, offering more hints of Madagascar vanilla and complex bursts of spice that explode on the palate like a Fourth of July fireworks display. Think cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and a pleasant toasty oakiness mingling with dried orange peel and, perhaps, a hint of Washington apples? Whatever flavors one might find in this bourbon, it is clear that there is a strong sense of place with this dram. Dry Fly isn’t trying to replicate bourbons from Kentucky here, there is a definite sense of place to this whiskey. When you taste Dry Fly bourbon, your palate will take you to the pristine rivers, rich farms and clean air of eastern Washington. There is no mistaking what this is, Dry Fly an iconic bourbon that represents the people and the environment where it was made.

Finish

Dry Fly bourbon offers a long, lingering and warm finish replete with vanilla wafer, caramel and orange marmalade notes. This is a bourbon to be sipped and savored, perhaps after a great day of fishing.

While details are scarce at this time, look for bottles to to be released at about 101 proof and at about an $80 price point. Rest assured, no matter what price Dry Fly bourbon is released at, you’ll be getting not only a historic bourbon, but simply one of the best bourbons ever produced, anywhere.