Laws Whiskey House San Luis Valley Straight Rye BBL# 508 – K&L Single Barrel

MUST BUY!

DISTILLERY	Laws Whiskey House
REGION	Denver, Colorado
AGE	NAS (Aged over 3 years)
STRENGTH	58.9% ABV (117.8 Proof)
MASHBILL	100% heirloom rye (Conflicting mash bill found on their website – Also states they have used 95% heirloom rye and 5% heirloom barley)
MSRP	$60

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GLANCE

Clear with medium to deep intensity. Dark amber color and medium to high viscosity

NOSE

You know its a rye right away but its unlike any rye I have nosed before. Before the rye spice could join the party, I got notes of nutmeg, hazelnut, dark chocolate, nutella, blueberry and strawberry jam. As it opened up there was cinnamon, new oak, vanilla and butterscotch. The dark fruits, nuts and chocolate stayed consistent throughout. Clean with pronounced intensity. Such a delightful complex nose!

PALATE

Here the rye spice really made its entrance and the mouthfeel gave to a very filling buttery texture. After the initial spice started to dissipate a bit on the palate I got lots of fruits in the front. Some of those fruits were pear, plum, cherries, and strawberry. Then the oak enters with the vanilla and caramel drizzled throughout. Towards the end you get a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate with butter popcorn. The peppercorn rye spice stays consistent on the side of my tongue throughout the palate.

A

FINISH

Long with complexity. I got notes of dark fruit, butter popcorn, vanilla, caramel and baking spices

CLOSING REMARKS

Wow what an unexpected complex rye! From the nose to the finish the flavors and notes I was getting was just coming in waves. I am surprised this bottle doesn’t go for $1000! Laws Whiskey House Straight Rye gives you such a bold flavor profile that you have to keep going back for more. It’s a young rye but with ryes age is not a huge factor. Minimum of three years gets you to a rye that can stand on its own. But here I feel the age is the most insignificant component of getting this flavor. Its the mashbill that is unique to region, the Colorado weather, the copper pot-column still that allows for the heirloom rye to shine and finally the new oak.

VALUE

This is quite the unique expression in the world of ryes. Laws Whiskey House as a small distiller is presenting whiskey, bourbon and rye in ways that is not seen industry wide. Their philosophy focuses on grain to glass. As they have unique rye species in their mashbills not found in most other ryes on the market. From the distillery regarding the grain:

The soulful, rich flavors of our no-compromise whiskey begin with our use of only heirloom and heritage grains. Modern agricultural has no interest in these low-yield, finicky grains, yet we could not create the singular profile of each Laws Whiskey without them. We are dependent on the two family-owned farms – the Cody’s in the San Luis Valley and the Ohnmacht’s out on Colorado’s eastern plains – willing to cultivate these specialized grains for us.

8,000 feet above sea level, in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, the Cody family has been cultivating this low yield, semi-wild rye grain since the 1930s. We fell in love with how it ferments and distills into a terroir-driven, unapologetic whiskey. 

There is something to their approach and innovating each part of the whiskey process, has lead them to create a truly unique product. For $60 you get a lot of complexity, unique story, unique mashbill and at high proof. At this price range there are also many other terrific bourbons and ryes, but this K & L rye barrel pick really showcases a uniquely delicious well balanced expression that Laws Whiskey House can deliver.

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