Redbreast 12yr

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

A type of whiskey made from a mash bill of at least 51% rye.

Crack or mill the rye, corn, and malted barley. Heat 18 L of the brew water to 75°C (167°F).

Mill and heat

Add the milled grain to a mash tun and pour the 75°C water over the grain to reach a mash temperature of 66°C (151°F). Stir thoroughly to avoid dough balls and ensure even hydration.

Mash in

Hold the mash at 66°C (151°F) for 60–75 minutes to allow the malted barley enzymes to convert starches to fermentable sugars. Perform an iodine test near the end to confirm conversion (no blue-black coloration).

Saccharification rest

Raise the mash temperature to 75°C (167°F) and hold for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve lautering.

Mash out

Sparge the grain bed with the remaining ~5 L of 75°C water, collecting enough wort to yield approximately 23 L total. Target original gravity appropriate for distillation (roughly 1.060–1.080).

Sparge

Before mashing, dissolve calcium chloride and gypsum into the mash water if using. These salts help enzyme performance and improve mash pH. Aim for mash pH near 5.2–5.6; adjust with food-grade acids or slaked lime as needed.

Cool the collected wort to 20–25°C (68–77°F) as quickly as possible to minimize contamination. Oxygenate by vigorous shaking or aeration for 60–90 seconds if using a small batch.

Cool wort

Rehydrate or prepare the distiller's yeast per manufacturer instructions. Add yeast and yeast nutrient to the cooled wort, mixing gently to distribute.

Pitch yeast and nutrients

Transfer wort to a sanitized fermentation vessel and ferment at 20–28°C (68–82°F) depending on yeast strain, aiming for steady activity. Fermentation for distiller's mashes typically completes in 3–7 days; monitor gravity until stable and final gravity is reached (usually low, but not essential to the final spirit profile).

Ferment

Once primary fermentation is complete and gravity is stable, allow the wash to settle and clarify for 12–48 hours in a cold environment (if possible) to reduce solids prior to distillation.

Condition and settle

Set up and sanitize your pot still or column still. Transfer the fermented wash (wash volume dependent on yield; roughly 23 L) into the still's boiler.

Prepare still

Perform a slow, steady heat to bring wash to boil. Collect low wines until the boiler reaches a reduced volume appropriate for the spirit run (collect broadly to 20–25% ABV). Monitor temperatures and ABV of distillate.

First distillation (stripping run)

Clean the still and perform the spirit run with the low wines. Heat slowly and make careful cuts: discard foreshots (first ~0.5–1% of the expected final spirit volume by ABV) due to methanol and volatiles; collect heads until the sensory profile shifts (solventy/fusel aromas). Then collect the heart (desired drinking spirit) which for rye whiskey often exhibits grain, spice, and cereal notes. Make a conservative tails cut when the distillate shows oily or vegetal notes or ABV drops below ~40–45% during the spirit run (adjust per still and taste). Record volumes and ABV of fractions.

Spirit run

If desired, treat low wines or hearts with activated carbon (100 g per batch) to soften harsh congeners. Filter through carbon cautiously to avoid over-polishing and loss of rye character.

Optional polishing

Dilute the collected hearts to barrel entry proof (commonly 55–62% ABV) using filtered water. Transfer to a new charred American oak barrel (10 L) or add toasted oak chips at an appropriate dose. Age in a stable, cool, dark place. Rye whiskey typically requires at least 2 years to pick up wood character, but small barrels will age faster; sample periodically for desired color and flavor (vanilla, caramel, spice, tannin).

After aging, rack the whiskey off the barrel lees and let it settle. If necessary, filter lightly and use small amounts of activated carbon (10 g) to address a specific off-note, then reproof with filtered water to bottling strength (commonly 40–50% ABV depending on preference and legal requirements). Allow the bottle to rest for a week after proofing for integration.

Rye grain (cracked or milled)

Corn (cracked or milled)

Malted barley (for enzymes)

Brew water (filtered)

Calcium chloride (optional, to adjust hardness)

Gypsum (calcium sulfate, optional)

Distiller's yeast (high alcohol tolerance)

Yeast nutrient

Optional: activated carbon (for polishing low wines)

New charred American oak barrel (or toasted oak chips)

Filtered water (for proofing)

Activated carbon (optional, for small adjustments)

rare ryes

Kung Pao Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Baked Chilean Sea Bass

Salt & Pepper Black Tiger Prawns

Crispy Walnut Shrimp

Steamed Garlic Lobster

Make Rare Ryes Recipe in just 168h . A type of whiskey made from a mash bill of at least 51% rye.

Rare Ryes Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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