Washington whiskey tasting

I recently participated in a blind tasting of 4 Scotches and 4 Washington whiskeys with over twenty other reviewers. The Washington whiskeys we tried were Bainbridge Battle Point, Samish Bay, Dry Fly, and Headlong White Dog. You're probably thinking that it's unfair to be comparing newbie whiskeys with Scotch producers that have been around for decades, and for the most part the Washington whiskeys did present themselves as poorer second cousins (and in one case an illegitimate child). But the Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey showed surprisingly well. It wasn't a favorite of the peat-loving Scotch aficionados in the crowd, but a number of the reviewers liked its smooth and mellow flavor with a hint of toffee sweetness in the finish. Dry Fly is presenting itself as a early contender for best Washington distillery with its quality products.

And the worst Washington whiskey in this tasting? Samish Bay with its strong flavor of pears (?!) and muddled finish. It had reviewers scrambling for another taste of the winner of this particular tasting to clear their palates. The winner was, of course, the Highland Park 25-Year Single Malt Scotch. Pricey, but pure ambrosia.

The Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey can be found state-wide on a temporary basis while the Highland Park is found mostly in the Seattle area.

Dry Fly Washington Gin

Now here's a liquor that's actually distilled in Washington State. Not only that, but Dry Fly was one of the primary instigators to changing the distillery laws in Washington in 2008, helping launch a tidal wave of new liquors. Well, it's not quite a tidal wave yet, but there are dozens of distilleries in line to get the new craft distillery licenses, so we should be seeing many more products in the next few years. Most of the new ventures so far have focused on fairly traditional liquors such as gin, vodka, whiskey, with a few outliers making grappa and absinthe. The craft distillery license is inexpensive and allows distilleries to have tastings and sell their product from their tasting rooms, though it does require that any spirit have 51% of its ingredients come from Washington. 

So how does this pioneering alcohol taste? Certainly different than most traditional gins. While Dry Fly uses juniper, there are also dried Washington apples, mint and hops added to the mix. The juniper is primarily evident in the nose and then fades into a complementary flavor when tasting. There are also notes of coriander and other spices, making for a complex and interesting gin. It is quite good for sipping, and would probably make an excellent dry martini as well as other gin-based cocktails. Here's a classic martini recipe adapted from The Martini Book.

Martini

6 parts gin

1 part dry vermouth

Olive or pickled asparagus as garnish

Dry Fly is found everywhere in Washington, even in the tiny town of Tekoa with its 800 inhabitants amid the wheat fields of eastern Washington.