Review of Oaklore Distilling's Port Cask Finish Rye

 

Oaklore Distilling Co. makes whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum. It was founded in North Carolina in 2016 by two neighbors, Tom Bogan and Matt Simpkins, who met while walking their kids to the school bus. If you want to read about this very charming story (and the perseverance involved in getting a distillery off the ground), you can check out my review of its Four Grain Bourbon from this past May.

 

Oaklore works with what it calls sister distilleries, which I suspect is a euphemism for contract distillers. The Four Grain Bourbon came from sister distilleries in both North Carolina and Kentucky. Concerning its North Carolina Rye Port Cask Finish, the subject of today’s review, the sister distillery involved is from North Carolina.

 

Port Cask Finish is part of Oaklore’s Story Series or its limited-edition whiskeys. Everything that Oaklore talks about is part of a story, from its founding to its tasting room. The tagline is A Story In Every Glass.

 

The base Rye aged at least six years in new, charred oak barrels. The marketing materials suggest six-plus. The website says seven. Legally, you can safely understate the age, and, to be blunt, the number is irrelevant as far as how the whiskey tastes.

 

“The moderate [Piedmont] climate with large swings in daily temperature year-round forces the barrels to breathe deeper and more often, allowing the whiskey to penetrate the grooves at a higher rate. Then […] the whiskey is transferred to a newly dumped port wine barrel, where it continues to age for 12-18 month[s].” – Oaklore Distilling Co.

 

To answer a very fair question that some may ask, the Port wine referred to is domestic, not from Portugal.

 

Before I #DrinkCurious, I should let you know a couple of things. First, these bottles are only available from its online store. Second, Oaklore was kind enough to provide me with a sample of Port Cask Finish in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. 

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: Undisclosed North Carolina “sister” distillery
• Age: 6+ years (website suggests 7)
• Mashbill: 70% rye, 20% corn, 10% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, charred oak casks, then Port wine barrels for 12-18 months
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
• Price per 750mL: $99.95 (90 bottles total)
• Non-Chill Filtered

 

Appearance: I utilized a Glencairn glass to explore this whiskey neat. Its mahogany color was enticing. The thin rim jettisoned wide, medium-speed, crazed tears.

 

Nose: After ignoring the whiskey for about ten minutes, I was ready to attend to its aroma. I smelled rich chocolate, Maraschino cherries, ripe plums, strawberries, brown sugar, and toasted rye bread. I drew the air through my lips and found oak.

 

Palate: The whiskey possessed a light, creamy mouthfeel. During the Kentucky chew, it seemed to gain volume. The front of my palate discovered figs, ripe plums, and baked cherries. Vanilla, blueberries, and chocolate dominated my mid-palate. The back featured leather, rye spice, and clove.

 

Finish: Initially, the finish was soft. However, as time wore on, it warmed. Rye spice, leather, clove, black raisins, blueberries, and charred oak waltzed across my mouth and throat. The duration ran 2:07, making it very long.   

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I don’t want this to sound bad, but what the heck did I just drink? The Port wine influence made a bold impact. That finishing barrel had to be very wet before adding the whiskey. There was a harmonious marriage; each played off the other; the wine started the conversation, and the whiskey ended it.

 

I’ve had plenty of Port-finished whiskeys over the years from around the world. Oaklore Distilling Co’s Port Cask Finish is a stand-out and well worth ordering a Bottle. Cheers!

 

Courtesy of Oaklore Distilling Co

 

 

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.