Dry Fly About to Release Washington’s First Bourbon
Production is extremely limited, here’s how to get your hands on it.
Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 21, 2011 at 01:18PM
9 Comments
Spokane distillery Dry Fly will release 480 bottles of its bourbon, our state’s first legal batch since prohibition [or maybe not—see comments], at the end of this month.
Obviously, that’s not a lot of bottles. To get one, go to the distillery beginning (and probably ending) July 30 or the Interbay liquor store on August 6. Each location will get 240 bottles.
And there is a third option: Dry Fly is doing a charity auction/release party on August 5 at the Mayflower Park Hotel in downtown Seattle. It will auction off a whiskey kit with a bottle, glassware, etc. and 10 people will win the chance to have a bottle set aside for them for purchase. Tickets are $75; reserve by emailing DryFly@evadopr.com.
You may be thinking: But doesn’t bourbon have to be made in Kentucky? The answer is no. That would be Kentucky bourbon. Straight bourbon does have to be made in the USA and the mash has to contain at least 51 percent corn. It can’t be over 160 proof. It also has to age in a barrel for at least two years. I believe any type of barrel is okay, I’m sure if I’m wrong about that someone will let me know. [Sure enough, I was wrong. It has to be new charred oak. See comments.]
Dry Fly’s bourbon was aged for three years in American oak with 100 percent Washington ingredients. It’s made from 60 percent corn, 20 percent malted barley, and 20 percent wheat. According to the distillery it has a “bold palate appeal and strong finish with hints of Madagascar vanilla plus cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and dried orange peel.”
It will retail for $64.95.
In regards to the barrel, I believe bourbon must be aged in new charred American Oak barrels. If the distillery uses old barrels, it would be making American Whiskey and not bourbon (for example, Early Times American Whiskey is not a bourbon, since they use old barrels).
There was another distillery in Seattle in 1933 making bourbon.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150263626294054&set=pu.100865654053&type=1&theater
Wow! Cool ad, Steve. Clearly, this was before the guidelines set in the 1960s—now straight bourbon has to be aged 2 years. Thanks for telling me about this, I want to learn more.
You’re right Jason. It has to be new charred oak. Thanks.
Steven, thanks for the link to your business, and what we do without your infinite wisdom. Still a very cool opportunity.. hiding my Wheaties
Not to be picky or pretentious but bourbon doesn’t have to be aged in a “charred” oak barrel. Charred oak is a method used to age bourbon that will give the “bourbon” a smokey flavor like what you find in Makers 46 when compared to its sweeter label mate Makers Mark. It just has to be aged in an American oak barrel.
Actually yes Bourbon has to be aged in a new “Charred” oak barrel. It’s Federal Law:
(1)(i) “Bourbon whisky”, “rye whisky”, “wheat whisky”, “malt whisky”, or “rye
malt whisky” is whisky produced at not exceeding 160° proof from a
fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn, rye, wheat, malted barley,
or malted rye grain, respectively, and stored at not more than 125° proof in
charred new oak containers; and also includes mixtures of such whiskies of
the same type.
Just because an ad is ran by a “distillery” in no way means that distillery actually produced the product. It is common practice now, as I’m sure it was in the past, for bottlers or rectifiers to call themselves distillers. Also, custom production and bottling is more the standard than the exception. In fact, many of the brands and distilleries we know today, don’t even own a still.
Maybe?