The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Father John Rayls
Rating B+
Breuckelen Rye Bonded
(Credit: John Rayls)
Breuckelen Distilling has a winner in its 77 Whiskey Bonded Rye & Corn, a more aged version of their previous 77 Rye & Corn Whiskey. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from this offering, but was very pleasantly surprised.
77 Rye & Corn could just be called a rye whiskey, what with its mash bill of 90% rye and 10% corn. As a Bottled in Bond Whiskey, it’s 100 proof, aged four years in new charred American oak (53 gallon) barrels.
According to Breukelen Distilling, “Everything we sell is made entirely from scratch here on 19th Street in Brooklyn. From scratch means from milling whole grains to bottling, every step of production is performed here by our people. We select our ingredients from local producers most importantly and from organic sources, second. All of our grains are sourced from NY farms; most are grown by our farmer Thor.” The distillery, founded by Brad Estabrooke, opened its doors in 2010 in an industrial neighborhood between the East River and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
The Whiskey
The color of the whiskey is a medium to dark brown, leaning towards orange rather than red, with somewhat thin legs, in that they are reluctant, but prolific. The highlights are bright copper and shine brightly.
The nose is of medium intensity, but rises quite readily from the glass. The aromas are filled with oak, caramel and spice, a mix of allspice and a pinch of cinnamon, and a note of sweet corn.
On the palate, it’s a creamy mouthfeel with caramel, oak, sweet corn and cinnamon. The spice is somewhat subdued, while the sweetness is accentuated. The medium finish is very nice and gradually warms from cinnamon, to pepper to a low intensity white pepper, while maintaining its overall sweetness with caramel and oak. Most of this action is centered at the upper back of the mouth. It finishes slightly hot, but doesn’t overstay its welcome.
This is an easy drinking rye whiskey that can be consumed neat or with an ice cube added, and I’d happily pick up another bottle.
The Price
Breuckelen Distilling 77 Whiskey Bonded Rye and Corn is listed at $74.95 retail.
