Black Frost Distilling: Wheated Blended Bourbon & Rye Malt Whiskey Reviews

Most whiskey drinkers understand what malted barley is. That’s the component used for its enzymes, which contributes to the flavors, fermentation efficiency, and mouthfeel. In my experience, it results in a softer texture, much like what wheat does to Bourbon or Rye.

 

Less common for distilling whiskey are other malted grains, such as wheat, rye, and even corn. Regardless of the grain, malting involves steeping, germinating, drying, kilning, and, if needed, cleaning. Malting adds sweetness, softness, and a savory quality.

 

That brings us to Black Frost Distilling. Founded in New Ulm, Minnesota, in 2022 by Nate Gieseke, a 6^th generation farmer, and Jace Marti, a 6^th generation brewer, Black Frost is an estate distillery that is hyper-focused on terroir. If you’re unfamiliar with that term, the local environment and processes impact the formation of food and drink.

 

Black Frost Distilling harvests its own grains to maintain that terroir and uses only Minnesota-grown oak for its barrels. Aging is done on-premises as well.

 

Black Frost Distilling does something slightly different – something you typically see in Canadian whiskies.

 

“Fermentation is the pinnacle of distillation. We ferment our whiskies with a very special collection of non-saccharomyces strains of yeast that we maintain and propagate in house. These slow growing yeasts give our whiskies deeply complex, aromatic, and radiant notes.” – Black Frost Distilling

 

With distillation, each grain becomes part of an individual whiskey, aged alone, and once fully matured, is blended with the other grain whiskeys. That allows for completely custom blends. Black Frost Distilling also proofs its whiskeys inside the barrel over several months.

 

Today, we will explore two of its expressions: Wheated Blended Bourbon Whiskey and Blended Rye Malt Whiskey.

 

Before we get to the #DrinkCurious part, I have a few things to say. First, I must thank Black Frost Distilling for providing me with a sample of each whiskey in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Second, I used a fresh Glencairn glass for each.

 

Wheated Blended Bourbon Whiskey

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Age: 2 years
• Mashbill: 62% corn, 25% malted wheat, 7% malted barley, 5% malted rye
• Entry Proof: 55% ABV (110°)
• Cooperage: New, medium toasted, #3 charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
• Price per 750mL: $44.00

 

 

Appearance: The Bourbon possessed a caramel color. It formed a bold rim that released fat, widely-spaced, crazed tears.

 

Nose: I smelled notes of sawdust, wintergreen, corn, and barrel char. Inhaling through my lips brought toffee and caramel.

 

Palate: Black Frost’s Bourbon had a thin and oily mouthfeel, and the first sip showed its youth with plenty of bright, intense flavors. The second attempt allowed me to concentrate on what those were. The front included caramel, orange, and lime zests. My mid-palate discerned sour candies along with leather and vanilla. The back offered oak, rye spices, and white pepper.

 

Finish: White pepper, oak, rye, and sour candies remained. I timed the duration at 0:33, making it very short.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I respect Black Frost because they obviously refused to do anything fishy to accelerate the maturation process. It is youthful, evident from the aroma's sawdust portion and how it interacted with my mouth and throat.

 

I wish this Bourbon had more time in oak because what is hidden beneath those sharper notes screams of quality and care. It certainly doesn’t require additional alcohol content; 92° is quite sufficient.

 

Priced in line with many other craft Bourbons, I recommend trying Black Frost Wheated Blended Bourbon at a Bar first.

 

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Blended Rye Malt Whiskey

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Age: 2 years
• Mashbill: 80% rye, 18% corn, 2% malted barley
• Entry Proof: 55% ABV (110°)
• Cooperage: New, medium toasted, #3 charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
• Price per 750mL: $54.00

 

 

Appearance: Inside my glass, the Rye had a darker bronze appearance. A medium rim produced evenly-spaced, thicker, fast tears.

 

Nose: The nosing started with smells of dill and mint. Beneath those were bananas and caramel. Pulling the air into my mouth, I found anise.

 

Palate: A soft, creamy texture greeted my lips and tongue. The front of my palate discovered deep caramel, RC cola, and a hint of apricots. The middle featured mint, cocoa, and leather, while the back tasted of oak, rye spice, and black pepper.

 

Finish: RC cola, mint, dill, oak, and warm rye spice closed things out, lasting 1:32, giving it a medium-long duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Black Frost Rye Malt has classic American Rye qualities, yet it isn’t another “me too” rye whiskey. The cola sensations on the palate and finish highlighted unexpected sweetness. It is a well-balanced Rye that is an easy sipper and worth checking out. As such, it earns my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

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Final Thoughts: Some may wonder why two years was perfectly adequate for the Rye yet not for the Bourbon. That’s because, typically, Rye requires less time in oak to mature.

 

There’s a lot to be said about what’s happening at Black Frost Distilling, and I’m very interested to see what happens in, say, another two to four years. 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 to do so responsibly.