2025 Day 6 - Roknar Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey

I hope what’s in the glass makes this one notable.

Far North Spirits is in Minnesota, just 25 Miles from the Canadian border. They have the distinction of growing their own grains, which is credited to the rich and fertile soils that came about because of the ice age.

The Mash bill is 80%, 10% corn and 10% malted barley and comes in at 100 proof.

The nose is honey, cinnamon, prunes and black licorice. The palette is more honey, pepper and vanilla. The finish is tannic but pleasant, slightly earthy.

I know there’s a lot going on here, but we found it to be a pleasant combination.

We look forward to hearing your opinions in the comments.

Fun fact:

Bottled in Bond: In the late 1800's, the question of where one's booze originated either wasn't important or folks just didn't give much thought to it. Or if their whiskey was even whiskey at all. Generally, alcohol was bought by wholesalers in barrels rather than bottles making it all too easy to tweak or mask the product with additives and artificial flavorings to stretch the product for more profit, frequently using questionable ingredients to do so.

A traditional whiskey distiller from Kentucky, for example, could be easily undercut by another distillery using a neutral spirit like vodka which is much less expensive and requires much less skill to make and add to their vodka such ingredients as caramel coloring, wood chips and even formaldehyde to alter it enough to pawn it off as something that vaguely resembled a traditionally made whiskey.

After experiencing this con for some time, whiskey distillers and consumers alike got fed up. With the help of the federal government, they set up a standardized designation known as the Bottled In Bond Act of 1897. This was one of first examples of a consumer protection law in the US.

The Bottled in Bond or "BIB" designation is one that holds a spirit to a fairly high standard.

The Bottled in Bond or Bonded spirits standards are as follows:

1. Must be aged for a minimum of four years.

2. Must be bottled at precisely 100 proof (50% ABV).

3. Must be made by a single distiller.

4. Must be made at one distillery.

5. Must be aged in a bonded warehouse.

6. Must only use spirit distilled in a single distilling season. Either spring or fall. Spring is defined as January to June; fall as July to December.

   
   

Because of these standards, what you get is essentially a "craft" spirit. A unique expression of that distillery's terroir/climate/water etc.