I'll be honest — when I first came across FEW 4 Year Old Batch 6 from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, I had to pause and appreciate what was happening here. A craft American rye, bottled by one of the most adventurous independent bottlers in the game, at a punchy 50.7% ABV. That's not a whisky trying to blend into the background. That's a whisky with something to say.
For those unfamiliar, FEW Spirits operates out of Evanston, Illinois — a town that was ironically dry for nearly a century. Their rye has built a serious reputation among American whiskey enthusiasts who want something beyond the big Kentucky names. What makes this particular bottle interesting is the independent bottling angle. That Boutique-y Whisky Company selected this batch, which means someone tasted through what was available and said: this one, specifically, is worth putting our name on. That kind of curation matters.
At four years old, this is young whiskey — no getting around that. But here's the thing I always tell people behind the bar: age is a number, not a guarantee of quality. What matters is what happened during those four years. With craft distilleries producing smaller batches in smaller barrels or different warehouse conditions, maturation can move at a different pace than what you'd expect from a massive rickhouse in Kentucky. Four years of the right conditions can produce something with real depth.
The 50.7% ABV tells me this was bottled close to barrel strength, which I always respect. It means you're getting the whisky more or less as the distiller and bottler intended, without heavy dilution smoothing out the rough edges — or the interesting ones. You can always add a few drops of water yourself. You can't add the alcohol back.
Tasting Notes
I'm not going to put words in your mouth on this one. Rye at this proof and age is going to bring its own personality depending on the day, the glass, and your palate. What I will say is that the rye mashbill and that bottling strength suggest you should expect something with genuine spice and grain character — this isn't a bourbon pretending to be a rye. Go in expecting the grain to lead, and let the batch speak for itself.
The Verdict
At £59.25, you're paying a fair price for something genuinely different. This isn't mass-produced, it isn't blended to hit a focus-group target, and it isn't trying to be something it's not. It's a young, confident rye from a respected craft distillery, hand-picked by an independent bottler known for their adventurous spirit. A 7.7 out of 10 from me — it earns that score by being unapologetically itself. If you're the kind of drinker who wants everything to taste like a safe, inoffensive 12-year-old bourbon, look elsewhere. If you want something with character, with a bit of edge, and with a genuine story behind the liquid, this is well worth your money.
Best Served
Pour it neat first — always. At 50.7%, give it a minute in the glass, then try it. If the proof hits too hard, add water literally a drop at a time until it opens up. Once you've got a feel for it, this rye would be outstanding in a Manhattan. The spice from the grain will stand up to sweet vermouth without getting buried, and at this strength it'll punch through the cocktail beautifully. Use a 2:1 ratio, a good dash of Angostura, and stir it properly — none of that shaking nonsense. A rye like this deserves the respect of a well-made classic.
