Distilling Process
Maryland rye was historically known for being sweeter than other rye whiskeys in America. The exact reasons for this flavor profile are unknown, but it is likely to do with Maryland’s mild climate and rich, Piedmont soil. We get the sweetness in our rye from using only malted grain. Malting makes grain taste sweeter and some of that sweet flavor carries over into the final spirit.
Also, by using only malted grain, we can skip the high temperature cooking step that unmalted grains would need. Cooking can release undesirable, harsh flavors from grain. By using the lower temperature regime needed for mashing malted rye, we can leave all of those harsh flavors behind in the still where they belong, not in the finished product.
We combine the malted rye with water to make a 156 degree mash. This temperature allows as much fermentable sugar as possible to be pulled from the grain so that yeast can later turn it into delicious alcohol.
After a 2-3 day fermentation we have about an 8% alcohol wash. The whole wash (grain and all) is then transferred to the still for its first of two distillations. This first pass is called a stripping run because it strips the bulk alcohol out of the mash along with whatever other compounds might come with it. This produces a liquid called the low wines. Low wines are low strength, around 60 proof, and very impure. So, we have to put the low wines back in the still and distill them again. This distillation is called the spirit run.
Unlike the stripping run, which takes places all at once, the spirit run is divided into three phases: heads, hearts, and tails. The heads are the first things to evaporate during the spirit run. They are full of things you don’t want to drink like methanol and acetone. We simply throw those away. The hearts are the good stuff. They are what will end up in barrels and eventually in the bottle. We distill the hearts to a predetermined proof and then collect the tails. The tails have too many impurities in them to taste good, but they still contain a lot of alcohol that we are able to rescue. We do this by adding the tails to the next spirit run!
Once distilled, the hearts are cut to 110 proof and put into barrels to age. We chose 110 proof because historically that has been the proof that seemed to be the favorite among MD rye distillers and it yields a lovely whiskey. After aging the whiskey is filtered to remove any barrel particles, cut to 90 proof and bottled.
Alcohol By Volume
45%
Available Sizes (L)
0.750
Distribution Area
Delaware, New Jersey, and New York
Tasting Note
Sweet spice like cinnamon and nutmeg with a hint of chocolate from the grain. Subtle berry and cherry fruit flavors from the yeast. Rich caramel and vanilla character from the barrel.
Description
100% rye mash bill made with local rye grown and malted in Maryland. Jammy notes of plum, chocolate, malt and pepper with a dry finish. Rye whiskey is the official state spirit of Maryland! Our rendition is a single malt, single farm rye made from rye that is grown and malted at Amber Fields Malting in Keymar, MD by Greg Clabaugh. It is not hyperbole to say that there is really no other rye like ours. No one else is making rye exclusively from malted rye from only this farm. Additionally, not many distilleries are producing a 100% malted rye.
