Keeping track of the heritage, defunct, revived, and recently acquired brand names from the early days of American whiskey can send the mind reeling. It seems that revived historic brand names rarely possess a true link to their original founder, but in the case of the whiskey I’m reviewing today, Kentucky Owl Rye, the line between history and the present day is refreshingly direct.
The Kentucky Owl brand was first introduced in 1879 by a distiller named Charles Mortimer Dedman. Like many whiskey brands of its day, it thrived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but was ultimately done in by Prohibition. The name sat silent until 2014, when Charles’ great-great-grandson, innkeeper Dixon Dedman, decided it was a good time to revive the family business. For a deep dive into the Kentucky Owl backstory, check out our previous coverage of it here.
The first Kentucky Owl releases were tiny batches of sourced, aged stock that was given a second maturation in another set of new charred oak casks. Only available in Kentucky, it was a cult hit, despite its $175 price tag, and successive batches sold out fast and brought crowds to the bar at Dixon’s Beaumont Inn.
This summer, the brand announced it would be expanding distribution beyond the Bluegrass State for the first time with its Batch 7 bourbon release. Hot on the heels of that news, Kentucky Owl announced the launch of its very first rye, an 11-year-old straight rye also consisting of a small-batch vatting of barrels containing sourced juice. It’s bottled at a healthy 110 proof and designed to be a “heavy-hitting, thought-provoking” sipping whiskey. Doesn’t that sound great? Let’s give it a shot.
Tasting Notes: Kentucky Owl Rye
Vital Stats: 11 years old, 55.3% ABV, Batch 1, Bottled July 2017. Distilled in Kentucky, bottled by Kentucky Owl. Retails for around $130
Appearance: Quite viscous. Classic medium amber with a golden meniscus.
Nose: After cracking the bottle open, I was surprised by vaporous, acetone-inflected aromas that reminded me of Basque cider. But after a few days, those high tones dissipated. In their place emerged a sharp, prickly nose with lots of herby rye and an evolving character. I get dried dill, dark caramel, vanilla extract, bacon fat, and a not insignificant waft of smoke. Dried apricot, a little varnish, pencil shavings, gingerbread, and paint also make an appearance.
Palate: Vigorous and intense, with flavors of salted licorice, banana, durian, cantaloupe, and overripe, musky tropical fruit in a way that reminds me a little bit of baijiu. There’s also rye bread crust, burnt sugar, spiced cherries, vanilla, and ginger heat. It finishes rather abruptly on pencil shavings and bread.
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The high proof drinks quite easily, but out of curiosity, I added a few drops of water. It dialed down the funk, but retained the salty anise flavor; overall, I preferred it at the higher strength.
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