Rogue Spirits Oregon Rye Malt Whiskey

Rogue Spirits Oregon Rye Malt Whiskey

In 1988, near a scenic stream called Lithia Creek in Ashland, Oregon, Jack Joyce and Bob Woodell, fraternity brothers at the University of Oregon, opened the doors of Rogue Brewery. For fifteen years, Rogue Brewery brewed beers such as Dead Guy Ale, Dad's Little Helper and Brutal IPA under the tutelage of John Maier, Rogue Brewery's brewmaster. Then, with the addition of Master Distiller John Couchot in 2003, Rogue Spirits was born. Couchot, who earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at Evergreen State College in Washington, was a professional chemist for six years before jumping ship to make spirits. They take pride in all their whiskeys being handcrafted. This starts at the selection of grains, brewing, and distilling, then ends with aging and bottling. All Rogue's spirits are made from ingredients off their own Rogue farms and Oregon Rye Malt Whiskey is no exception. It's a handcrafted whiskey distilled in small batches with an unusual twist the rye and barley are both malted, which takes an edge off the spice notes and makes for a more approachable whiskey. Both are the same kind they use for brewing their beer: Dream Rye and Risk Malts, with the mash fermented using Pacman yeast. It is then aged for three years in new American oak barrels in the marine climate of Newport, Oregon, and bottled at 80 proof.