Koval White Rye Whiskey review

Chicago’s Koval distillery has already made its mark on the whisky scene with their true artisanship. I sampled their Single Barrel Organic Rye Whiskey and White Rye Whiskey. Both being very fresh, White Rye a experimental dram.

At first, Koval White Rye felt weird with solvent kind of scent and pointy taste gin-like. But when you let it stay in the glass quite a while, it will start to turn into a progressive whisky. Still, not more than an okay whisky, but some serious “prog-stuff”.

Like THE GREAT GATSBY remake – fresh and funky!

This dram is very much like a crossover of gin and whisky. Like a funky and good remake. Made me think about the new version of The Great Gatsby immediately. F. Scott Fitzgerald liked his gin, especially Gin Rickey, which appears in the book. And like Gatsby, I too did drink my Koval White Rye with “long, greedy swallows.”

Colour: Transparent

Nose: Very, very stingy at first, fermented stuff. Gets smoother with time but still, nose is the weakest part. Very much like gin, juniper berries are all over the place!

Taste: Sour juniper feel continues. First it’s gin, after some chewing, the rye comes forward. Grains come up while it rests in the glass. Water and time brings out salt and pepper, like sipping the edge of a Mojito glass. And the rye comes in a much better mode, fresher and grainy and sweeter!

Finish: Feel of gin and juniper berries rise up strongly. Feel of spirit is strong. Water smoothens too much but makes the aftertaste more fresh, yet dry.

Balance: Tricky dram, like a progressive metal song.

Scoring

Nose:Taste:Finish:Balance:

Distillery: Koval Region: Chicago, Illinois, USA ABV: 40% Organic, unfiltered 100% Rye. Heart Cut.

Koval in a nutshell

Artisans of strange microdistilling, based in Chicago. They make alcohol from organic single grains of such as: spelt, wheat, rye, oats and millet. Koval bottles the booze without aging and with minimal time in the barrel.