Monterey Rye - Age Your Own Rye

[sku]

A company called C&C shine in Central California is selling new make rye and a small oak barrel for aging as part of a make-your-own rye kit.

http://www.candcshine.com/mrs.html

They also make something called Clear Madness California Moonshine, which appears to be a corn liquor (they don't call it whiskey, probably because it has added sugar).

Has anyone tried any of these or heard of this distillery?

[Gillman]

Very cool, good catch!

Now come on guys, you gotta try it and report results.

Gary

[jinenjo]

I'm very interested! I'll be nearby Salinas next weekend. I may try and pick up a barrel.

I'll keep you all posted...

[Gillman]

The website gives interesting background. The two principals are originally from Fort Knox, KY. They are making, out in Gonzales, CA, a corn whiskey and a rye whiskey. The corn whiskey uses corn and cane sugar ("moonshine"-style). The rye whiskey is made from corn, rye and malt I would think.

The company states that 3 months in their small, "heavy charred" barrel (2 gal.) equals 1 year in a standard barrel, so a year in the small keg might give a product (I infer) with characteristics of a decently-aged straight whiskey.

The site advises to sample the keg until satisfied with its condition.

I would think Georgia Moon could be aged in a similar way, but the offering of a rye whiskey for this purpose seems unique except for those able to buy Tuthilltown kegs of whiskey and there was that West Virginia white rye that was sold for a time, I don't know if it is still available.

Gary

[Gillman]

Looking at the site again, I see that the rye spirits recipe is not actually stated, so while clearly this product contains rye it is not clear as yet what else is in it. (I would think barley malt and probably corn, but am not sure). The corn spirits section states clearly that corn and sugar are used for that product.

Gary

[jinenjo]

It's also, as far as I could see, an unknown proof of the white dog.

[Gillman]

True. A taste of the spirit when unaged would confirm I think if it is whiskey in the sense we speak of here, i.e., if it is flavoursome from the grain or rather tends to neutrality. The site speaks of a pot still being used, and this may be the European hybrid still often spoken of on the board, or something else. The fact that significant benefit is expected from new charred wood aging would suggest a flavorsome whiskey product or something in that range (under 190 proof, maybe under 160). The term "spirits" in the title of the drinks might suggest a combination of whiskey and GNS. (If so this might be like a blended at birth Canadian-style whiskey except with a heightened amount of the whiskey element). Only taste tests, before and after barrel aging, will tell the tale.

Gary

[NorCalBoozer]

I'm very interested! I'll be nearby Salinas next weekend. I may try and pick up a barrel.

I'll keep you all posted...

ahhh, I'm in Monterey and I've seen it in local stores....I haven't tried it yet.

if you have time for a tasting while your here, let me know.

Greg.

[jinenjo]

Thanks Greg. I'd love to come by, but I'll be away for a birthday celebration. You'll hear from me if it's in the cards.

As for this barrel kit, I'm suddenly less interested.

I emailed the makers of the rye to ask about proofs and mash bills. Here's what he said:

"Our rye spirit is made from a moonshiner’s recipe that includes replicated Kentucky water. Our rye spirit is made of 100% rye and cane sugar. Our exit proof is 105 to 109 and is bottled at 80 proof."

I'd probably be o.k. with the rye and cane sugar, it's the 80 proof that makes me very hesitant.

[Gillman]

Exit proof sounds very inviting from the standpoint of tradition.

And the 80 proof should rise in the keg..

Gary

[NorCalBoozer]

Lear,

Don't know if you come through here often, but anytime you are by the area you're welcome to stop by for a pour.

If you're looking for a barrel....I have a toasted barrel (I believe it's 2 gallon) that I am not using.

I bought two barrels a while back and used 1 for WT Rye and never used the other. The WT Rye result was really good. It's all gone now though. :drink:

I'm gonna have to go get at least a bottle of this Rye and see what it's all about.

Greg

Thanks Greg. I'd love to come by, but I'll be away for a birthday celebration. You'll hear from me if it's in the cards.

As for this barrel kit, I'm suddenly less interested.

I emailed the makers of the rye to ask about proofs and mash bills. Here's what he said:

"Our rye spirit is made from a moonshiner’s recipe that includes replicated Kentucky water. Our rye spirit is made of 100% rye and cane sugar. Our exit proof is 105 to 109 and is bottled at 80 proof."

I'd probably be o.k. with the rye and cane sugar, it's the 80 proof that makes me very hesitant.

[cowdery]

When we first started to talk about re-barrel experiments, years ago, I assumed it was desirable to get as close as possible to the entry proof the professionals use. Now I'm not so sure, as I've heard about some experiments with very high entry proofs where the aging was minimal. As Mike Veach pointed out to me, it's water, not alcohol, that is called the universal solvent, so I'm not so sure 80 proof isn't perfect. In warm climates, barrel proof does tend to rise.

I think this is a great idea.

[jinenjo]

While I didn't measure the proof of my (mostly) Beam Rye (80 proof) rebarrel whiskey, I don't think it rose more than 5% ABV after three months of heat exposure--3% if not at all. That said, I was quite pleased with the results.

Perhaps it might be worth looking into then. I'd still like to taste this Rye spirit first. Given that it's 100% rye, I'd imagine it'd taste more like Old Potrero than a straight spirit. More that that, I now live in a place with a shed in the back yard, which would be ideal for barrel aging.

[robbyvirus]

I saw this rye at BevMo in San Francisco yesterday. Interestingly, what I saw was different from the website. At BevMo they were selling single bottles of the rye, and each came with a "barrel stick", which was a charred piece of wood wrapped in plastic. The instructions on the bottle said to open the bottle, dump the stick in, and let it sit on your shelf until aged to your satisfaction. Anyone have any idea of this would really work? Unfortunately I can't rememeber the price, but it wasn't too expensive.

[jinenjo]

If I go through with this, I was thinking of combining their rye with the corn spirit (about 2:1) to achieve more of a straight rye profile. I'd rather it be more like a straight rye than Old Potrero.

What do you think?

[Gillman]

Excellent idea and an example of blending at birth, which (if it needed validation) is practiced by Canadian Club and other distillers. In your case, arguably the project is even more authentic in that both products are whisky (spirit distilled out at low proof) to begin with.

Gary

[ILLfarmboy]

If I go through with this, I was thinking of combining their rye with the corn spirit (about 2:1) to achieve more of a straight rye profile. I'd rather it be more like a straight rye than Old Potrero.

What do you think?

Excellent idea and an example of blending at birth, which (if it needed validation) is practiced by Canadian Club and other distillers. In your case, arguably the project is even more authentic in that both products are whisky (spirit distilled out at low proof) to begin with.

Gary

I was thinking along the same lines. I recently sampled some Virginia Lightning and after reading this thread immediately thought of blending the two to approximate a 'high rye' bourbon white dog to be aged in one of their small barrels

[Sweetmeats]

Good luck getting this. I've been on a waiting list for months with no word. And after seeing the "barrel stick" at BevMo, I think that may be all there is.

[ILLfarmboy]

Some years ago the roof of my parents' barn caught on fire. It doesn't take much to catch those old wood shakes on fire. Anyhow, we replaced the burned and weakened rafters and in place of shakes or shingles we used tin sheets, the kind used for wall sheets on Buttler buildings to be exact.

In the summer it gets hotter than hell up near the roof but cools down by morning. The hay mow would be a perfect place for a home aging experiment.

[jinenjo]

Well, I picked up one bottle of each, the rye and corn. I'm now debating on whether or not get a second bottle of corn spirit. My thinking is, rather than half-and-half, I might want to come closer to a straight bourbon recipe (i.e. 66% corn, 33% rye). The trouble is, a second bottle is not easy to acquire now that I passed it up on the shelf in Salinas. BevMo says there's one in San Francisco.

Then again, a 1:1 ratio might produce something unique.

I'd like to go for a more well aged (approximating a 12-15 y.o.) style whiskey once I start.

[ILLfarmboy]

Well, I picked up one bottle of each, the rye and corn. I'm now debating on whether or not get a second bottle of corn spirit. My thinking is, rather than half-and-half, I might want to come closer to a straight bourbon recipe (i.e. 66% corn, 33% rye). The trouble is, a second bottle is not easy to acquire now that I passed it up on the shelf in Salinas. BevMo says there's one in San Francisco.

Then again, a 1:1 ratio might produce something unique.

I'd like to go for a more well aged (approximating a 12-15 y.o.) style whiskey once I start.

How does their corn spirit taste? Can you tell it was made from a corn/sugar mash verses an all grain bill?

[jinenjo]

With regard to your mash question: I tasted each the other night, and regrettably, I couldn't really tell, Brad.

They were quite tasty though. I was able to get both distinctive qualities out of each. A dryness and spice (although it was more like a bitter, herbal spice as opposed to a red, hot spiciness) came out in the rye dog. As for the corn, that I quite liked. In it came the typically rich, oily texture and mild sweetness.

Both were not bursting with flavor, however. The tastes seemed more subtle, almost muted. I've only had limited exposure to white dog (mostly rye), and always at full strength well above 100 proof. The Monterey spirits at 80 proof compared to genuine KY white dog makes for quite a difficult comparison.

That said, what I tasted gives me promise for the experiment.

[ILLfarmboy]

...... I've only had limited exposure to white dog (mostly rye), and always at full strength well above 100 proof. The Monterey spirits at 80 proof compared to genuine KY white dog makes for quite a difficult comparison.

That said, what I tasted gives me promise for the experiment.

Gosh, I wish I could taste rye white dog. Hell, I wish I could taste bourbon white dog. The closest I have come is buying a couple bottles of Virginia lightning and one jar of Georgia Moon. Virginia Lightning tastes much better, its actually enjoyable.

I look forward to reading about your home aging experiment.

[Graeck]

I just bought a bottle of the Monterey Rye after a friend of mine who's in to Rye recommended it. It came with a stick of medium charred American oak. I tasted it before putting the oak in and it was quite pleasant "as-is" though definitely lacking some character -- but all in all, quite nice. So I've dropped the stick in the bottle and am waiting for a month. Then I'll test again.

The bottle comes with a little card (did someone mention this?) that you can fill out and send to the company to get other "sticks". You can choose from American, French or Hungarian oak, and low, medium or high charred. I was thinking of ordering another stick and switching to a different wood two months in...

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this one. My friend said it's one of the best deals in Rye. The bottle I bought ran $27.99 at a local liquor store.

[CorvallisCracker]

Hello Graeck. Welcome to SB.com.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this one. My friend said it's one of the best deals in Rye. The bottle I bought ran $27.99 at a local liquor store.

Hmmmm...

For under $30 you should be able to get both Wild Turkey rye and Sazerac rye. For under $15 there's Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond. You might want to try those.