Bringing Rye Back with Templeton Rye.
Posted in Brown Spirits, Spirits on August 24th, 2009 by halw – Be the first to comment
A pretty, pretty bottle of Templeton Rye.
Pre-Prohibition Rye made by the same family who made it back then. Do I have your attention yet?
Okay, good. You should probably listen, because these guys know a thing or two about how to make a good rye. After liquor was outlawed in the 1920s due to a little thing called Prohibition, a resourceful town named Templeton decided to take matters into their own hands. Soon after production had started, word had spread and Templeton began to become referred to as “The Good Stuff”, to the point that Al Capone began seeking it out.
Cut to Present Day, and Scott Bush, heard tales of this Rye from his Uncle Gus whose father Frank Schroeder was responsible for the original batches of Templeton Rye. After much searching Scott found one of the original other families responsible for the recipe key to making Templeton what it was.
Partnering with the grandson of one of the original makers, Keith Kerkhoff who happened to have the original recipe, they began the search for a distiller.
Luckily they came across a distiller in nearby Breda, Iowa who was interested in re-starting production on this long forgotten spirit.
Keith Kerkhoff and Meryl Kerkhoff, Keiths Father at the Templeton Distillery.
The first batch of Templeton in 2001 yielded 68 barrels that were aged for four years before hitting shelves. This year they’re looking at an end result of about 600 barrels.
Thankfully the story behind Templeton is followed up with an equally impressive spirit.
With a nose that introduces a combination of rye married with caramel, it intrigues you even before taking that first sip.
That first sip brings tones of sweet honey, followed by caramel and ending with minor tinge of spice on the tongue.
While Templeton is not available in but a few areas, such as Chicago, Michael Killmer, the brand ambassador for Templeton advised me that they hope to hit New York shelves by the end of 2010.
Though here are a few places you can get your hands on bottle sooner than that.
http://www.internetwines.com/
http://www.binnys.com/
Templeton Rye retails between $35.00-$45.-00 per 750ml Bottle.
Final Score: 8.5/10
