McKenzie Rye Whiskey

McKenzie Rye is named for Finger Lakes Distilling master distiller Thomas Earl McKenzie and distillery owner Brian McKenzie, who are oddly of no relation. They keep more of the "tails" of the distillate in the cut, their aesthetic choice for preserving the whiskey's natural flavor. The whiskey is aged up to 1.5 years in 10 gallon barrels, then aged in 53 gallon casks from local sherry producers in the Seneca Wine Trail of upstate NY. All grain is locally sourced.

McKenzie Rye Whiskey Tasting Notes

Nose: Rye spiciness with oak and pepper notes, dried fruit and leather, dried orange peel, nutmeg, dried cherries. Nicely complex bouquet overall.

Palate: Nicely weighty body and mouth feel generating warmth wherever it touches. Dried dark fruits (think fruitcake but drier) dried orange peel, hints of cherry, vanilla, oak pepper, and cinnamon. The sherry barrels have also added some unique components, something reminiscent of amarone grappa or pisco quebranta grapes, that give a lovely grapey roundness in taste and aromatics to the overall taste that is singularly unique to this rye.

Finish: Lingering spicy, slightly sweet finish with a notable dryness on the tongue and pleasant heat to it – nothing like the old style gargling broken glass feel we remember from some old style ryes.

Distillery Information

Finger Lakes Distilling is a craft distillery on the East shore of Seneca Lake in Upstate New York Like many great things, Finger Lakes Distilling started with an unusual coincidence. In this case, appropriately, it was at a craft distillers’ conference.

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