Rye is a rare grain in English whisky, rarer still when it makes up three-quarters of the mash bill. Adnams Rye Malt is exactly that: 75% malted rye, 25% malted barley, distilled at the Copper House in Southwold and bottled at a more assertive 47% ABV. It's a whisky that wears its grain on its sleeve.
The nose is immediately recognisable to anyone who has pulled a fresh rye loaf from the oven. Caraway, warm pumpernickel, cinnamon bark and a twist of orange oil tumble out, joined by a surprisingly floral top note — dried rose petal, perhaps a hint of lavender. It's perfumed in a way most English malts never quite manage.
On the palate, the rye does its peppery work. There's clove, candied ginger and dark honey up front, then a savoury thread of dill seed and rye bread crust running underneath. The extra strength gives it shoulders; this is a whisky that wants a little room to breathe, and rewards a drop of water by opening into herbal sweetness.
The finish is long, dry and spiced — black pepper, anise and toasted oak that fades slowly into a cool mint coda. Easily the most characterful of the Adnams trio, and a fine showcase for what English rye can be. An intriguing, deeply flavoured dram that deserves more attention than it gets.
