In February 2024, I spent a day with Head Alchemist Alan Bishop at Spirits of French Lick in southern Indiana. Among the many many bits of knowledge imparted to me by Bishop was the truth that it’s extraordinarily helpful for craft distilleries to be paired with a vacationer vacation spot. Whereas Bishop departed from Spirits of French Lick not lengthy after, his insights keep on with me. Driving roughly 90 minutes north from French Lick is one other Indiana distillery paired with a vacationer vacation spot, Laborious Reality Distilling. Laborious Reality makes its dwelling in Nashville, Indiana, however is healthier often called Brown County, Indiana. The tiny group revolves round Brown County State Park and a great deal of procuring, making for the right getaway. Laborious Reality has began to realize a stable nationwide popularity for rye whiskey, nevertheless it additionally helps that the tiny city with a inhabitants of lower than 1,500 residents sees an annual extra of 1.2 million vacationers.
Fall of 2024 brings Laborious Reality’s latest restricted launch, Laborious Reality Barrel End Reserve Maple Brûlée Candy Mash Straight Rye. Grasp Distiller Bryan Smith crafts this restricted launch from a singular mashbill consisting of 69% rye, 20% corn, and 11% malted barley. This candy mash rye initially spends over 3 years maturing in a brand new oak barrel with a char stage #1 and customized toast, very similar to present age statements for traditional Laborious Reality releases. Smith then transfers the rye to maple brûlée casks for an extra maturation in extra of 1 yr. The American whiskey market is at present saturated with a plethora of ending casks, however maple brûlée is a comparatively new ending choice to floor. These casks come from Tonnellerie Moreau in Quebec. The Canadian cooperage chars the casks a second time after ageing bourbon in them for 7 to 9 years after which maple syrup from Bissell Maple Farm in Jefferson, Ohio, for one more yr. Including to the creativity, Laborious Reality briefly rests the maple brûlée rye on toasted Jupilles French oak previous to bottling. Jupilles French oak hails from the traditional forest of Bercé in western France.
Ending with maple brûlée casks isn’t frequent, however ought to it grow to be so? Let’s take a tough have a look at this rye and uncover the reality.
The nostril opens with an assortment of candy notes that handle to keep away from changing into cloying. Brandied cherries waft upwards and are instantly met by burnt brown sugar. Sitting for just a few moments, vanilla Tootsie Rolls be a part of burnt honey to finish the nosing expertise. The maple brûlée cask is instantly noticeable on the palate by means of Maple Nut Goodies sweet. Wealthy caramel makes an look because the midpalate gently transitions to vanilla custard and star anise. The mouthfeel is extraordinarily dense because the rye coats and clings to the palate. On the end, we begin with buttered toffee and smoky molasses, and as Maple Brûlée heads down the homestretch, vanilla creme wafer cookies and cherry soda linger.
The reality isn’t laborious. The simple actuality is that Grasp Distiller Bryan Smith put collectively a implausible rye whiskey as a part of the 2024 restricted launch collection. One of many criticisms of ending whiskey in maple syrup casks is the cloying nature of syrup usually transfers to the whiskey, which is completely comprehensible. Making use of a second charring to these maple syrup casks does so much to treatment this complication whereas imparting some new character. Shoppers will definitely wish to search out this restricted launch.
101.3 proof.
A- / $90
Laborious Reality Maple Brûlée Rye
$90
