You may have noticed that we’ve been paying a little extra attention to Texas whiskey over the past few weeks. The Lone Star state has long been a craft whiskey leader. Back in the late 2000s, businesses like Balcones and Garrison Brothers were on the vanguard of the craft distilling movement, making distinctive products in an era when “craft” was almost synonymous with “sourced.” Thanks to them (and others like them), Texas whiskey is now a category practically of its own, and new brands are springing up with regularity.
Kooper Family, based in Dripping Springs, Texas, is one of those newcomers. Owned by Troy and Michelle Kooper, Kooper Family introduced its first product, Kooper Family Rye, in mid-2015. This is very much whiskey for Millennials, complete with hip label, slick website, sassy tagline (“Rye or Die”), and Tumblr full of vintage pics of rock stars, muscle cars, and fantasy glam-camping scenarios.
Kooper Family Rye is upfront about the fact that they’re sourcing their whiskey for now, although it sounds like they hope to open a full distillery someday. But before you write them off as yet another 95% rye MGP release, hear this: their product doesn’t come from MGP.
Instead, the Koopers source unaged 100% organic rye distillate from Koval Distillery in Chicago. (This is a similar approach to how Journeyman Distillery got its start, sourcing rye from Koval until their own product was ready.) Kooper Family Rye then ages its whiskey in its own warehouse in 15-gallon heavy char barrels for an undisclosed length of time, taking advantage of what they call the “moody, powerful and prolific climate” of Central Texas, before the spirit is proofed to 40% ABV.
Tasting Notes
Tasting NotesAppearance: Medium-gold with a slight orange cast, with thin, widely-spaced legs.
Nose: Big, overpowering paint and varnish aromas in the glass at first. Once the acetone-like notes dissipate, herbaceous notes like dried dill and mint emerge alongside warm grain and citrus peel.
Palate: Dill carries over into the entry of the palate, as well as a low-key apple and pear fruitiness. That’s quickly dominated by strong rye spice: clove, allspice, star anise, and pepper.
Finish: Quite spicy, medium in length with a syrupy mouthfeel. At the very finish there’s a curious slight numbing sensation, almost like Szechuan pepper.
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Conclusion
After my initial smell of Kooper Family Rye, I wasn’t expecting a lot, but the flavor is much more appealing than the aroma. While there’s not a lot of maturation character, this spirit manages to showcase all those great herbaceous, fruity, and spicy qualities of rye at the same time. Overall, it’s pleasurable and nuanced without being heavy, and at a little over $40 a bottle for a 750, it’s fairly priced. If you can get your hands on it, it’s worth trying.
Final Score: 88/100
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