Review #217: Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Distillers Edition

MASH BILL: 100% rye 

AGE: NAS

PROOF: 92 

COST: $35 for 750mL bottle (South Carolina liquor store)

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company is based out of Purcellville, Virgina. The name “Catoctin” is based on the local Indian word “kittocton” which means “place of many deer.” Considering we’re getting close to the end of deer season and I still haven’t gotten one, I figured maybe a pour of this will bring me some luck the last week of the season. Regardless of what luck it may or may not bring me (I’ll be sure to make a follow up comment if it does), let’s check out this highly decorated rye whiskey.

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: Warm mahogany  (1.6), oily with fat, slow legs and a beautiful ring of beads that coalesce into slow teardrop legs.

NOSE: Plum, dates, caramelized demerara sugar, and a touch of maple syrup provide a surprisingly sweet greeting for a 100% rye whiskey. Gingerbread, allspice, and clove softly show up providing a pleasant spice. There is a “craft” grainy note to it that I associate with the use of  heritage grains. Lemon peel and heavy vanillin oak maintain a constant background.

PALATE: This has a nice simple syrup mouthfeel to it. Sugar cookie with a caramelized sugar top. Toasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate follow closely behind. Soft spices start to appear at mid-palate with allspice, clove, and ginger and spreads to the back of the palate. Vanilla shows up late along with that lemon note from the nose and a touch of mint. There is a slight grain note that gives a bitter touch to this as well. For 100% rye whiskey, this isn’t nearly as spicy as I was expecting. It’s a very soft spice which is nice with the dessert like sweetness on the front end.

FINISH: Medium to long, sweet finish. The caramelized sugars and vanillin rich oak carry over from the palate well. A touch of cocoa powder and rye spice add some dark depth to the finish. The lemon note continues to make a faint appearance long into the finish.

RATING: 7.4/10

OVERALL: This is a great rye whiskey! For 100% rye, it is surprisingly sweet, though it definitely has spices indicative of rye whiskey, it’s a soft spice. I love the chocolate notes that I get in this as well as that’s not normally a note I get with many rye whiskey’s. There is a grainy note on the nose and slightly on the palate that makes me think of “craft whiskey.” It’s hard for me to pick out if it’s because of a unique, non-mass produced grain being used or due to a low age. It’s not offensive, and does provide some complexity, but it’s also somewhat out of place with everything else and gives a slightly bitter note. Overall, a great rye whiskey that I’m very happy to get for a complete steal at $35!

Behind the Bottle

Catoctin Creek was founded in 2009 and has focused on sourcing all their grains locally. The main farm they use is in the Northern Neck of the state, where the Rappahannock River dumps into the Chesapeake Bay, where heritage varieties of rye are grown exclusively for Catoctin Creek Distilling Company. Their rye whiskey is potstilled in traditional Virginia style that goes back to the 1600s. The distillate goes into the barrels at 119.5 proof. For the distiller’s edition of Roundstone Rye, it has been aged for approximately 3 years.

When I reached out to Catoctin Creek for some details about their Roundstone Rye, I was expecting a rather low entry proof with how much flavor I got from this 92 proof whiskey as well as how sweet it was. However, with 119.5 barrel entry proof, I think there’s a lot to be said for just using good, heritage grains. I’ll also add for those that are sensitive to the “potstill twang,” I didn’t pick that up on this bottle at all. It was a very clean profile and it was clear they carefully picked their cuts to produce a great rye whiskey.

 

1 | Disgusting | see my 1/10 ratings

2 | Poor | see my 2/10 ratings

3 | Bad | see my 3/10 ratings

4 | Sub-par | see my 4/10 ratings

5 | Good | see my 5/10 ratings

6 | Very Good | see my 6/10 ratings

7 | Great | see my 7/10 ratings

8 | Excellent | see my 8/10 ratings

9 | Incredible | see my 9/10 ratings

10 | Perfect | see my 10/10 ratings