The whiskey wash logo
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website

Trending Stories

Search
American

Wildrye Distilling Five Drops Montana Straight Bourbon Review

Montana's most awarded distillery crafts a bourbon with no rye or wheat in the mash bill. How does Wildrye's unique grain recipe shape the flavor?

OVERALL RATING

7
$57.55
  • Jeffrey Nitschke is a Portland-based attorney passionate about whiskey and cigars, with deep ties to the American whisky community and culture.
Like Conversation

Tasting Notes

About:

The United States Pacific Northwest is no stranger to good whiskey. States like Oregon and Washington have dozens of distilleries and offerings, many of which have received high acclaim. A lesser known, but no less quality, offering comes from the State of Montana, also in the PNW. Wildrye distilling was founded in 2013 and is Montana’s most awarded distillery, winning a total of 17 awards in 2025 and 30 national and regional medals overall.

Their flagship expression is their Five drops Montana Straight Bourbon. Aged for at least three years, Wildrye emphasizes use of local grains, processing the distillate from Southwest Montana sweetcorn and Center Montana malted barley. The whiskey appears to be made absent any wheat or rye, which is a more typical mash bill of Kentucky Bourbons. The Five Drops Bourbon comes in a bottled-in-bond and 10th anniversary expressions as well.
Appearance:
Classic amber and gold.
Nose:
Mealy bread, yeast, sawdust, and caramel, anise
Palate:
Starting off sweet, crystalized sugar and vanilla mix with very muted spices of ginger and cinnamon. Eventually, it turns into a thick but not heavy coating of honey and nutmeg spice. The mouthfeel is velvety. Bitter vanilla bean and pine wood close out the palate.
Finish:
Bitter cacao, slight leather, ground almonds.
Comments:
Understated for such a young whiskey, I wonder contains some older expressions as well. It is well blended and balanced, being not too much of anything while being enough of something to enjoy. If there is truly no rye or wheat in the mash bill, it would explain the lack of significant spice or mealy notes, and instead focuses on smoother corn and leathery malt. More similar in character to a Tennessee whiskey, this dram is surprisingly enjoyable. However, it remains obviously young in character.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Jeffrey Nitschke

Jeffrey Nitschke is Portland area attorney whose career has dovetailed with a love of fine spirits and cigars. His hometown is rich with microdistilleries, which has afforded him the opportunity to learn the nuances of whiskey tasting and whiskey making. His writing and enthusiasm for the hobby has led to lasting friendships with other whiskey aficionados and connisures across the United States.

All Posts

Latest On The Whiskey Wash

The whiskey wash logo