Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/41419
NOSE-ABLES Dry Fly Casts Its Own Line "T ruth in alcohol." It's more than just a buzz word for Washington State–based Dry Fly Distilling; it's their guiding principle. With a complete farm-to-bottle philoso- phy, Dry Fly not only sources their ingredients from local and sustainable farmers, they actually foster deep relation- ships with the growers who supply them with the raw ingredients to make their spirits. "We believe in absolute transparency. That's why our products are all going to have QR codes that will lead you to videos that show exactly what's in the bottle and where it comes from," says Dry Fly co-owner Kent Fleischmann. For Dry Fly, it's more than just being local, sustainable, and transparent. "We got into this to make better spirits," Fleischmann tells THE TASTING PANEL. To that end, Dry Fly produces a unique range of spirits including Dry Fly Washington Wheat Vodka, with a very full and distinct wheat fl avor profi le; Dry Fly Washington Dry Gin, which gets a lot of its character from Washington apples; and Dry Fly Washington Wheat Whiskey, made from 100% Washington wheat. "We want to be different, so all our products are different," comments Fleischmann. The reception has been exceptional. Dry Fly has garnered numerous accolades, including Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Their latest release, a 101-proof Dry Fly Washington Bourbon, sold out within hours of its launch. "We had 180 people in line for 48 hours, and in two hours we sold over $20,000 worth of stuff. It was just amazing," remarks Fleischmann. One of the big challenges with such a limited release is getting product to fans outside of the immediate area. To do that, Dry Fly partnered with Ronald McDonald House for an eBay auction. The fi rst six bottles of Dry Fly Bourbon off the production line were auctioned, with all proceeds going to charity. The opening bid was $500 for the fi rst bottle. Next up for Dry Fly is a new whiskey made from a "unique grain" that hasn't been used before in whiskey. Stay tuned. —Geoff Kleinman Dry Fly Washington Bourbon 101 (101 proof, $64.95) Made entirely from locally sourced ingredients, this three-year-old bourbon has a bright, sweet and spicy nose. It's extremely fl avorful with deep vanilla, caramel and cinnamon spice with a sweet peach undercurrent that rounds everything out. The fi nish is long, sweet and spicy with enticing fl avors that lure you back for more. Produced in extremely limited quantities, it's a shame more people won't be able to enjoy one of the most exciting bourbons to be released in years. —G .K. september 201 1 / the tasting panel / 67 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K