One of the more interesting trends in alcohol of the last few years has been the rise of the American microdistillery. America has a long tradition of small batch distilling of Bourbon and rye, but this latest set have branched into vodkas, gins, brandies, and European-style whiskies. Minnesota has one of the first of this class with its Shakers vodka. Oregon is one of the leaders of this new breed with a handful of its microbreweries like Rogue and Widmers branching out into distilled spirits. As a result of this explosion of small batch distilling, the diversity of selection in any given location can be quite refreshing.
Enter Iowa's sole entry in the batch of microdistilleries: Templeton Rye. It's hard to beat this offering in the realm of romance. During Prohibition, the town of Templeton used its ample supply of grain to create a sensational whiskey. Their booty ended up being the staple whiskey in Midwestern speakeasies and mob hangouts. After prohibition ended, the town went back to legitimate farming and other basic industries.
The recipe was gradually brought back to life and the town started making rye whiskey again. Since the fall of 2006, the distillery has been bottling about 120 cases of whiskey per day and distributing it within the state of Iowa. The next year's run will be shipped out of state, but if you want the stuff now you have to be lucky to find it in Iowa.
To clarify how hard this can be, I should explain the details of the last purchase. The bottles were filled on 12/29/06, and I purchased them on 01/10/07. The employee at the liquor store had put the case, the only case they had, on the shelf less than an hour before I arrived. By the time I left the store, there was one bottle left. I and two other people grabbed five bottles in less than ten minutes.
Why is this such a hit? Ultimately it's a rye unlike anything on the market today. It shares some of the best qualities of Bourbon, Canadian, and rye whiskies. Smooth, a little sweet and fruity, and a reasonable level of burn.
So look for this little gem in Iowa for the next few months and, hopefully, they'll have a distributor soon and people outside Iowa can start enjoying this again.
Enter Iowa's sole entry in the batch of microdistilleries: Templeton Rye. It's hard to beat this offering in the realm of romance. During Prohibition, the town of Templeton used its ample supply of grain to create a sensational whiskey. Their booty ended up being the staple whiskey in Midwestern speakeasies and mob hangouts. After prohibition ended, the town went back to legitimate farming and other basic industries.
The recipe was gradually brought back to life and the town started making rye whiskey again. Since the fall of 2006, the distillery has been bottling about 120 cases of whiskey per day and distributing it within the state of Iowa. The next year's run will be shipped out of state, but if you want the stuff now you have to be lucky to find it in Iowa.
To clarify how hard this can be, I should explain the details of the last purchase. The bottles were filled on 12/29/06, and I purchased them on 01/10/07. The employee at the liquor store had put the case, the only case they had, on the shelf less than an hour before I arrived. By the time I left the store, there was one bottle left. I and two other people grabbed five bottles in less than ten minutes.
Why is this such a hit? Ultimately it's a rye unlike anything on the market today. It shares some of the best qualities of Bourbon, Canadian, and rye whiskies. Smooth, a little sweet and fruity, and a reasonable level of burn.
So look for this little gem in Iowa for the next few months and, hopefully, they'll have a distributor soon and people outside Iowa can start enjoying this again.