Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey

Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey, 3 YO, 48,5 %

I recently came across this whiskey from Anchor Distilling Company. They are located in San Francisco, and actually started off as a brewery more than a hundred years ago.

Here is a short quote from the Anchor Distilling Co. webpage:

Inspired by his pioneering experience with craft beer, Fritz Maytag established Anchor Distilling Company in 1993, an idea which Fritz had been considering for some time. According to Maytag, "I had a vision back in the early seventies that maybe making a rye whiskey would be an interesting idea.

Historically, rye whiskey preceded bourbon, and at the time was totally out of fashion. That appealed to me because one of the things we did in the early days of brewing was to do things that were purposefully not popular."

The Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey is distilled from a 100 % malted rye mash bill, and matured for three and a half years, which makes it a single malt straight rye.

You cannot buy the Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey on this side of 'the pond' as far as I can see. You can order it in the US though, but the supplies are limited. The price appears to be around USD 70.

Nose (22/25): Soft and delicate. Rich and deep. Mild spices, coca-cola minus the carbonation, vanilla and mild perfume. Nice sweetness.

Taste (22/25): Very spicy on the initial attack, followed by a rich bourbon sweetness. Corn, pepper, vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon buns. A bit fizzy - which is fun!

Finish (22/25): Sugary, dark and sweet. Fine fruit drops with a hint of perfume. Medium long finish.

Balance (22/25): A very fine rye!

Score (88/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas