It’s time again for another review with pictures by the amazing Dominque Wijnands! Sometimes I get more excited about showing you all these amazing pictures than the review itself. But that would be a shame because I have a very special whisky in store for you! The Fragrant Drops Indiana Rye.
Fragrant Drops is a very cool independent bottler that you can recognise anywhere by their unique bottle design, that looks like it came straight from an old apothecary! But they’ve also become known for the excellent spirits they’ve bottle so far. Whether it’s whisky or rum, they seem to hit the mark every single time!
This Indiana Straight 95% Mash Rye Whiskey most likely comes from MGP. Which I learned from my dear friend Norbert Tebarts from Whisky4all, who only needed to know the mash bill to tell me where this whisky came from. In other words, if you ever want to learn more about American Whisky, check out his website and join one of his tastings!
Tasting Notes – Fragrant Drops Indiana Rye
ABV: 57,1% (104,2 proof)
Age: 5 years old
Distillery: MGP
Chill-filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Nose:
The first thing I smell? Pickles! Now that might not sound like a tasting note you’d typically be on the lookout for, but it works surprisingly well here. There’s some freshly baked rye bread here as well, some crisp green apples, oranges, a hint of molasses, and plenty of vanilla. But honestly, it’s the pickles that reign supreme!
Palate:
That pickle note is back and in just the way I hoped it would be. Here in The Netherlands we don’t typically see pickle crisps on the shelves, but in my father country (Belgium) it’s a staple! And it’s that same pickle note I’m finding here. But paired with more molasses, salted liquorice, kardemom, nutmeg, aniseed, and fennel. In other words, this is a highly complex dram and I love the flavours available here!
Finish:
The finish is a tad beyond medium long. And where the pickles reigned supreme on both the nose and palate, they’re nowhere to be found here. Instead it’s all liquorice, but plenty of different kinds. We dutchies love our liquorice and I can discern at least five different types here. Salmiak, Kokkindjes, Honey Liquorice, Salted Liquorice, and Laurel Liquorice are all abundantly available!
Verdict:
I think this will be a highly polarizing dram. I absolutely loved it for its complexity and unique notes. But if you happen to have a strong disliking for pickles… you’re most likely going to hate this. It might not be for everyone, but it’s sure to surprise many!