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Rye Whiskey Specialist Catoctin Creek Kicks Out 3 Bottlings

Catoctin Creek Rabble RouserWhen we last looked in on Virginia distillery Catoctin Creek back in May, they were in the process of releasing a cask proof version of their popular two year old Roundstone Rye. The outfit known for its rye whiskey offerings is now back with three new expressions, all pretty limited in nature. They look like they might be some great ones to try should you get hold of a bottle.

Here’s how Catoctin Creek is describing its new rye whiskies, known individually as Roundstone Rye “Maple Finished” Cask Proof, Roundstone Rye “Peach Brandy Finished” Cask Proof, and Rabble Rouser:

  • Roundstone Rye “Maple Finished” Cask Proof: We’ve taken those old maple-syrup barrels from the Langdon Wood maple syrup that we sell in our tasting room, and we re-filled them with whisky.  The result is not cloying or sweet, but a smooth maple flavor that blends perfectly into the whisky, and a maple finish that goes on, and on, and on, and on. (59.8% ABV, whisky distilled from 100% rye, 750ml, $90 USD)
  • Roundstone Rye “Peach Brandy Finished” Cask Proof: We’ve taken one of our spent peach brandy barrels and finished the whisky in that barrel.  In this case, again, the subtle fruitiness of the peach comes into the mid-palate, and a sweet peachy finish closes out the whisky. (59.8% ABV, whisky distilled from 100% rye, 750ml, $90 USD)
  • Rabble Rouser: Distilled from 100% rye, and like the other whisky from Catoctin Creek, Rabble Rouser is a single barrel, hand-crafted whisky.  The Rabble Rouser differs from its cousin, Roundstone Rye, in that it is distilled at a lower proof, allowing lots of earthy goodness from the grain to come through in the spirit.  The whisky is aged for four years in Minnesota white oak barrel, twice the legal age requirement for “straight rye whiskey.” (50% ABV, single barrel whisky distilled from 100% rye, 750ml, $62 USD)

The last of these three, the four year old Rabble Rouser, seems to be of particular interest to Scott Harris, founder of the distillery. He said in a prepared statement when this one debuted that “where Roundstone Rye is sort of restrained, with lots of fruit and elegance, Rabble Rouser is more unruly and vivacious. There’s a burst of rich rye spice and sweet woodiness that dominates this whisky.”

Rabble Rouser is said to have been released in limited quantities into the Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and New York markets, while the two cask proof bottlings are floating around in small numbers in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and California. You can try to track down a bottle of one of the three by looking here.

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