Dry Fly Straight Washington Wheat Whiskey

Nose - Sweet vanilla caramel, hint of "smarties" candy, hint of orange zest. Taste - Sweet vanilla, creamy caramel, light cinnamon spice tingle, hint of malt powder, latte foam sweetness. Finish - Pleasantly smooth cinnamon vanilla caramel sweetness that gradually fades. Score - 87/100 Final Thoughts - I was pleasantly surprised by this. It's unfortunately a bit one-dimensional and might get lost in a cocktail or over ice, but it's remarkably smooth to sip neat. The flavors are somewhat subtle but tasty. This could work well mixed with something possessing more oak or spice to mellow it slightly and add some creamy caramel sweetness.

Deep amber color. The aroma offers a bit of oak and a slightly sweet, unidentifiable fruit. The first sip presents strong oak with a pleasant toasted bread note. The finish is savory, reminiscent of butter for the bread, along with a good amount of cinnamon. It's quick but impactful on the palate. It's not as sweet as Bourbon, yet not dry either. While it could benefit from more complexity, which is understandable given its relatively young age and 100% wheat mash bill, the existing flavors are more than enough to make this an enjoyable departure from the norm, still clearly identifiable as American Whiskey due to the oak and spice.

After biking from BC to Idaho, passing through Spokane and the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse, I was eager to try a local whisky with such an unusual mash bill. It's near the bottom of my list of over 40 bottles due to its modest expert rating, but I really like it. Of course, I do love buttered honey toast, so that's probably why. It's certainly a bit one-dimensional – being a single grain American whisky – but it executes its profile well.

I've always felt fondly towards Spokane since visiting as a child on a family road trip to Yellowstone and seeing the falls on the Spokane River. Perhaps it's just sentimentality, but I enjoyed this whiskey considerably. It requires some time in the glass to open up and allow the ethanol to dissipate. Once it does, the sweet wheat and caramel on the nose are appealing. The creamy palate reveals more sweet wheat and caramel. It's also a bit hot. The same notes are present in the medium-length finish.

A medium-bodied wheat whiskey, not overly complex. Flavors of cooked sweet cereal, even floral notes. Creamy, but light enough to disappear in a cocktail against other potent flavors, so it's best enjoyed neat. Quite good if you appreciate it for what it is (a young wheat whiskey) and what it is not, and what Dry Fly is building in the Pacific Northwest. I admire this company's approach and eagerly anticipate seeing them consistently age their whiskey for over 4 years.

Nose: honey (mead), mellow, spice Taste: sweet, bread, licorice I appreciated the sweetness and mild flavor initially, but as it developed, a licorice note emerged, which I disliked. I purchased it to sample a 100% wheat whiskey. I would not repurchase, but might consider another brand or a whiskey with different grains in the mash bill.