Journeyman Not A King Rye Whiskey

By Father John Rayls

Rating: B-

Journeyman Not A King Rye
(Credit: John Rayls)

Journeyman Distillery has been a real mystery to me, because I’ve had a hit and miss relationship with their products. I loved their Last Feather Rye, but some items have thrown me, and this Not A King Whiskey (formerly Federalist #12) is one of them.

Located in Three Oaks, Michigan, Journeyman uses as much local and regional grain as possible producing this whiskey from a historic mash bill of 60% rye and 40% corn, and bottles it as a no age statement whiskey at 90 proof. My bottle is from Batch #3 and bottle number 816. Not A King was named after George Washington’s opposition to being made a king after winning victory over the British in the American Revolution.

The Whiskey
The whiskey has a beautiful medium brown color, with orange tints and polished brass highlights. The legs are prolific, reluctant and uniform around the glass, draining slowly and almost in unison.

The nose is light to medium intensity and filled with honey, oak, leather and light spice. When first opened, there is a distant odor of BB gun oil. However, this dissipates when allowed to sit in the glass for a while. .

The whiskey produces a light creamy mouthfeel, with mid-mouth action mostly on the tongue. The palate develops as sweet corn, caramel, green wood and rye, which quickly transitions to pepper.  The finish kicks in almost immediately without completely replacing the original flavors., with the pepper transitioning to white pepper and running hot for a sweet and spicy close.

After sampling this whiskey three different times with different friends and in different environments, I enjoyed it much more when I paired it with a strong Balkan pipe tobacco. It works better with another strong taste influence. That faint BB gun oil aroma and slight aftertaste disappeared completely and became much more enjoyable.

The Price
You can find Not A King offered both locally and on the Internet for $45.00 to $52.00.