Journeyman Last Feather Rye Review & Tasting Notes

 

I get a kick out of real backstories. Sure, the marketing stuff is fun, but most of us realize (or we should) that finding some long-forgotten recipe of my grandpappy's grandpappy's sippin' whiskey behind an old cupboard is a curiosity. Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan, doesn't offer a tall tale. But the story is still fun.

Flashback to 1883, and you have a gentleman named E.K. Warren. He built the Buggy Whip and Corsets Factory, which made, not surprisingly, buggy whips and corsets. Warren revolutionized corset production by incorporating featherbone in its construction versus the whalebone that other manufacturers utilized. Suddenly, his corsets gained worldwide notoriety. Interestingly enough, Warren was a serious prohibitionist.

Fast-forward to 2010, and Bill Welter founded a distillery in this same building. He pays homage to its roots, offering whiskeys with names such as Featherbone Bourbon, Corsets, Whips and Whiskey, and Buggy Whip Wheat. Before opening Journeyman, Welter was an apprentice distiller at KOVAL, located in Chicago. KOVAL's claim to fame is one of the first all-organic, kosher distilleries. 

Today I'm reviewing Last Feather Rye, made from a mash of 60% organic rye and 40% organic wheat, all locally grown. It is then placed in 30-gallon, new American white oak barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. Certified organic and kosher and packaged at 90°, you can expect to pay about $50.00 for a 750ml bottle.

I sampled a pour of Last Feather Rye at a local watering hole here called The Malt House. Time to #DrinkCurious and discover what this is all about.

Appearance:   Served neat in my Glencairn glass (The Malt House uses rocks glasses, so I brought my own), Last Feather Rye appeared caramel in color. It formed a medium rim and fast, watery legs that fell back into the pool.

Nose:  The first thing I smelled was varnish. That was not a good introduction. But, it was followed by pear, honey, caramel, and sawdust. When I breathed the vapor into my mouth, vanilla made me forget about the varnish.

Palate:  Offering a medium mouthfeel, the front of the palate featured banana bread, mint, and apple. As it moved to the middle, those changed to vanilla and rye spice. Then, on the back, it got spicy with black pepper and cinnamon.

Finish:  Medium in length, flavors of charred oak, banana bread, and rye spice stuck around.

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  While I enjoy a good backstory, my hopes are always that the whiskey will match. There's not a whole lot to Last Feather Rye; indeed, nothing to stand out and make me take notice. It tasted a bit young, as evidenced by the varnish and sawdust, but carrying no age statement means it is at least four years old. I "get" the whole craft whiskey thing and how there are sunk costs to recover, but $50.00 for this one seems pricey. A Bar rating seems appropriate. Cheers! 

My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.