KOVAL Single Barrel Rye Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

KOVAL Single Barrel Rye
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

Whereas the rye whiskeys of Kentucky barely qualify as such, with a rye content just over the 51% minimum mandated by Federal law, it’s pretty much the norm for a rye made anywhere else to have more of the primary grain in it than that. The next most common style is the MGP-made 95% rye that is the basis for so many sourced brands, and a few distilleries have modeled their in-house rye on it.

Insofar as I know, no craft distilleries outside of Kentucky follow the Kentucky style. Some, in fact, go in entirely the opposite direction, which is what KOVAL did. Their single barrel rye whiskey is 100% rye, aged for 1 1/2 to 2 years in 30-gallon barrels and bottled, unfiltered, at 80 proof.

The Whiskey
Looking at KOVAL Rye in the glass, I saw a color that bridged the gap between copper and amber. Coating the inside of the glass left a spread of thin, slow-moving legs.

Taking a sniff got me acquainted with a sharp, clear scent, with the aroma of green apples sitting in the middle of it. Supplementing that slightly sour, mostly sweet fruitiness was a dollop of Christmas Cake spices and tinge of green wood. On the palate, the liquid was silky smooth. That slightly sour apple fruitiness was joined by vanilla and honey, making the flavor sweeter than the scent, with cracked pepper sprinkled on top and a hint of green wood rising on the back end. The finish lingered on for a lengthy time, with equal-but-light measures of pepper and green oak.

The Price
Prices sit in the $40 to $50 range with online retailers.