Hailing from Brooklyn, NY is the New York Distilling Company, founded in 2011 by Tom Porter, Bill Porter and Allen Katz. Tom Porter co-founded Brooklyn Brewery in 1987 and retired in 2008. Bill Porter (Tom’s son) is the Chief Blender and Distiller for NYDC and Allen Katz was the Director of the Spirits Education & Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York.
Ragtime Rye comes with an “Empire Rye” designation which is a standard created in 2015 by the Empire Rye Whiskey Association. Their purpose was to craft a whiskey style for the Empire State paying homage to pre-prohibition rye whiskey making. The New York Distilling Company was one of the original six New York distilleries to create this standard. There are now at least 28 NY based distilleries that are either producing Empire Rye expressions or made a commitment to release Empire Rye expressions in the future.
Empire Rye Standards:
– Must conform to the New York Farm Distiller (Class D) requirement that 75% of the mash bill be New York grain; in this instance that 75% MUST be New York State-grown rye grain, which may be raw, malted or a combination.
– The remaining 25% of the mash bill may be composed of any raw or malted grain, New York-grown or otherwise, or any combination thereof.
– Distilled to no more than 160 proof.
– Aged for a minimum of two years in charred, new oak barrels at not more than 115 proof at time of entry.
– Must be mashed, fermented, distilled, barreled and aged at a single New York State distillery.
– A blended whisky containing no less than 100% qualifying Empire Rye whiskies from multiple distilleries may be called “Blended Empire Rye”.
NYDC uses 100% non-GMO organic grains specifically grown for New York Distilling Company by Pedersen Family Farms in the Central Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.
Barrel chosen by: Jay West for the r/bourbon single barrel program.
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 10 minutes.
Distillery: Contract distilled and aged at Black Dirt Distilling Company, Pine Island NY (by NYDC). Produced and bottled by New York Distilling Company in Brooklyn NY.
Proof: 112.
Age: 7 Years.
Mash bill: 72% Rye, 16% Corn, 12% Malted Barley.
Price: $54.00.
Appearance: Golden Amber.
Nose
Butterscotch, maple and brown sugar, vanilla bean, lavender, cloves, mint, apricot, red berries, and a bit of cherry, orange zest, sweet oak and allspice. Wow! I was not expecting this to be so sweet and fruit forward. There herbal notes are excellent with a distinct floral lavender note. With more time this opens up with more sweet caramel and quite a bit of stone fruit. The balance is very good with no heat in the way.
Palate
This has a very good viscous mouthfeel. Rich caramel, vanilla, apple, apricot, a hint of orange citrus, dill, clove, lavender and sweet oak. If this was in a blind flight, I might guess it to be a high rye bourbon just from the nose. Here, this rye whiskey reveals itself with black pepper, rye bread and herbal notes mixed with stone fruit that’s all very well balanced. The palate is not quite as complex as the nose but there are still a lot of flavors that create a very delicious and enjoyable sipper that drinks below its proof.
Finish
As black pepper settles, oak turns up the volume as the spice settles along with sage, dill, stone fruit, and vanilla. Oak morphs into soft leather tannins for a very nice finish focusing on the back of the palate. Surprisingly, the black pepper comes back around as the tannins fade with no bitterness for a long spicy finish.
Conclusion
I’ve never heard of the New York Distillery Company before I bought this bottle. But then again, it’s not a brand that I’ve seen in my local Hudson Valley NY stores. From what I can tell their 90.4 proof straight rye has received mediocre reviews. However, this longer aged and higher proof single barrel shows the potential of what NYDC is capable of. Ragtime Rye has the kind of flavor profile that would go over well for rye and bourbon lovers alike. It’s a bottle I would recommend and is well worth the price I paid if you can find it.
Rating: 6.5/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
