The color is rusted, bronzed, almost metallic in oranginess, and yellow tinged around the edges. And its a little foggy, as if not completely filtered. Very slow, well spaced legs, line the glass.
Vanilla and pinesap add a little balance to a palate that is aggressively floral, with gardenia and orange blossom. Its clean, with apple cider, black peppered pie spice finishing with an herbal quality.
of the place. So they took a leap of faith and decided to start a distillery, but it turned out to be a hard path. Pittsburgh Distilling Company would be the first distillery to open there since prohibition, and since that time, alcohol laws in the state had been strict. Pennsylvania didnt allow for onsite alcohol tasting rooms, forcing Wigle founders to wage a two year legal battle to even be able to sell their products at the distillery. The distillery was a labor of love for their hometown and Grelli and Meyer eventually won the fight. This passion shows in Wigles carefully crafted, and well balanced spirits. A side note, Wigle was named for a hero of the whiskey rebellion, Phillip Wigle, a rebel fighter for Pennsylvanias delicious American whiskey barrels. According to the brands website, Wigle was sentenced to death by George Washington for sparking the Pittsburgh Whiskey Rebellion, but later pardoned. After, he continued to make renowned whiskies from Pittsburghs Monongahela Rye. Says the company, Wigle Whiskey is working to restore a Pennsylvania tradition championed by these rebellious distillers. We make spirits much the same way Wigle and his friends did when Pittsburgh was the center of American Whiskey with a copper pot and local ingredients. image via Julia Smith/The Whiskey Wash Tasting Notes: Wigle Organic Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Stats: Wigle Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey is 42% ABV (84 proof), made with organic rye, wheat and malted barley. From the website, The mashbill will change depending on the flavor potency of each grain (i.e. sometimes the rye tastes spicier) so that the distillate always ends up being nicely consistent in flavor. Appearance: The color is rusted, bronzed, almost metallic in oranginess, and yellow tinged around the edges. And its a little foggy, as if not completely filtered. Very slow, well spaced legs, line the glass. Nose: Vanilla and pinesap add a little balance to a palate that is aggressively floral, with gardenia and orange blossom. Its clean, with apple cider, black peppered pie spice finishing with an herbal quality. Palate: On the palate this rye is complex and almost refreshing, juicy, slightly floral moving into apple pie, cider, sour kumquat and cinnamon. Anaheim chili and pepper are followed by just a hint of wheat grass and sap. Underlying oil and dough, with Rainier cherry juice lingering on the finish, fading to old fashioned rootbeer, smoke, wet leaves, green banana, and a touch of frosting.
The balance, depth and complexity of this rye is impressive. It’s spicy but not overwhelming, a touch sweet but not syrupy, herbaceous but not medicinal. Though it’s strong flavor will come through anyway, I wouldn’t suggest mixing this one. It’s too good. Just sip and enjoy!
