English rye whisky is a genuinely rare thing, and Adnams makes one of the few that matters. The company has been brewing in Southwold, Suffolk since 1872 and opened its Copper House Distillery in 2010, and this bottling comes from grain grown a few miles away at Reydon on the farm of company chairman Jonathan Adnams. There is a neat piece of etymology in that: in Old English, Rey means rye and Don means hill, so the rye is being grown where rye has apparently grown for centuries. The mash bill is 75 percent rye and 25 percent East Anglian malted barley, which is emphatically rye led rather than rye influenced, and it is what gives the whisky its spine. Maturation is the other unusual decision. Rather than reaching for ex bourbon barrels, Adnams matures this entirely in new medium toast French oak for a minimum of five years. Virgin French oak is finer grained than American oak and contributes tighter tannin, darker fruit and a restrained sweetness rather than the vanilla and coconut of a bourbon barrel, and the effect here is to give a fairly young whisky considerably more depth than its age suggests. It is bottled non chill filtered at 47 percent alcohol by volume. The nose is Christmas cake, candied fruit and spice with marzipan, vanilla, chocolate and black peppercorn. The palate turns drier, carrying spicy rye bread, raisin fudge, honey and hedgerow fruit. The finish is long, with pepper, ground coffee and honeyed sweetness. It reads as somewhere between a Kentucky rye and a Canadian one, and drinks beautifully neat or in a classic whisky cocktail.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
47% |
| Proof |
94 |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
England |
| Region |
Southwold, Suffolk |
| Category |
English Rye Whisky |
| Expression |
Rye Malt |
| Mashbill |
75% rye, 25% East Anglian malted barley |
| Age |
Minimum 5 years |
| Maturation |
New medium toast French oak |
| Filtration |
Non chill filtered |
| Distillery |
Copper House Distillery, Adnams |
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep amber with a warm golden cast.
Nose: Christmas cake candied fruit and spices, with marzipan, vanilla, chocolate, cracked black peppercorn and a lift of citrus peel.
Palate: Drier than the nose suggests, carrying spicy rye bread, raisin fudge, honey and hedgerow fruit over cocoa and honeyed malt.
Finish: Long, with pepper, ground coffee and a honeyed sweetness holding to the end.
FAQ
What proof is Adnams Rye Malt? It is bottled at 94 proof, or 47 percent alcohol by volume, non chill filtered.
What is the mash bill? 75 percent rye and 25 percent East Anglian malted barley, making it strongly rye led.
Is this American rye whiskey? No. It is English rye whisky, distilled at the Copper House Distillery in Southwold, Suffolk, from rye grown a few miles away in Reydon.
What does the French oak maturation do? It matures for at least five years in new medium toast French oak rather than ex bourbon barrels. French oak is finer grained and contributes tighter tannin, darker fruit and a more restrained sweetness, which gives this whisky more depth than its age would suggest.
How does it compare to American rye? It sits somewhere between a Kentucky rye and a Canadian one, with the spice of the former and a smoother, sweeter character closer to the latter.
Where can I buy Adnams Rye Malt Whisky online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
