InchDairnie RyeLaw 2017 46.4%
From the distillery website
After an extensive and meticulous development process, completed in 2017, RyeLaw was announced as the first release for InchDairnie.
When the distillery was first built, the intention from the start was to push the boundaries of flavour in whisky using a combination of experience and new technology, while remaining true to whisky’s traditions.
RyeLaw, made from a high proportion of malted rye, the key component in American rye whiskey and also malted barley, the key ingredient in Scotch whisky, was first distilled in December 2017, following a pilot distillation in October of the same year.
The creation of RyeLaw was spurred by a discovery in the ‘1908/09 Royal Commission Report on Whisky and Other Potable Spirits’, that rye was historically used to make Scotch whisky. This marks what is believed to be the return of the use of rye in Scotch whisky for the first time in many years.
Made with 56% Magnifico Rye and 44% Malted Barley and matured in American Virgin Oak casks. This is a pre-release sample, the first bottling being due for release later this year. Final abv has yet to be finalised, however indications are that it is likely to be 46% or above.
Tasting Notes:
Appearance: Honey gold, forms a thin line which beads before falling as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Sweet caramel and vanilla with a hint of cereal.
Palate: Carries on from the nose, caramel and vanilla dominate with a little fruitiness coming through later. Slightly drying together with a pleasant rye spiciness around the sides of the tongue.
Finish: Medium in length, caramel sweetness with a faint hint of blackcurrant right at the very end.
Summary: Overall this is a really easy drinking whisky, there's enough sweetness in there to satisfy without going into sweetshop territory and the spicy rye character really adds to the overall experience. I'd have liked a little more of the blackcurrant note to come through, but that's a minor point.
Due out in 2022, there's enough in here to please both malt and rye drinkers. I'll definitely be looking to pick up a bottle when it's available.
Update January 2024: This inaugural release finally hit the market a little later than originally intended, and at a retail price of £115. As mentioned above, I was planning on buying a bottle but I find the cost to be too prohibitive. A sign of the times maybe, and they say innovation often comes at a price, but it’s not a price I’m prepared to pay. Let’s hope future releases follow a more customer-friendly pricing policy.
If you would like more information on this whisky, or the InchDairnie distillery, follow the link to the company website.
Transparency: this sample pack and tasting session was a competition prize. The author has no affiliation with the distillery, all opinions are my own and remain completely impartial.
