There’s a plethora of two-year-old Ryes hitting the market, with some commanding amazingly high price tags. As this market gets more crowded, distillers must distinguish themselves from the competition.

Being a local, I was excited when Wollersheim, who has run a successful winery for several years, opened its distillery and announced it would create whiskeys. I’ve been curiously waiting ever since for something to be released, with my fingers crossed that they’d distill and age something of at least decent quality, as they’ve done a great job creating wines.

The last kind of drinker I am is a rye drinker. I will drink it and I will definitely drink this, but likely with a dash of water or some ice. Rye is a complex ingredient though. Ice or water allow a sense of sweetness to blossom if added, which is what happens with this whiskey. Context sometimes is second only to product quality when it comes to spirits. This appropriate libation is hard to beat after the last American election. Cheers!