Le Claire, Iowa, January 26, 2012 - The gang at Mississippi River Distilling Company has been busy again distilling up another seasonal whiskey.  Windmill Rye Whiskey will be available to purchase and taste on Friday, February 3 at the distillery and local retailers.  MRDC encourages spirit connoisseurs and rye novices to explore the spiciness and earthy qualities of rye in this whiskey.

Locally grown rye from Reynolds, Illinois was taken to De Immigrant Windmill in Fulton, Illinois for milling.  This authentic Dutch windmill, which sits right on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi, is just 20 miles upriver from the distillery.  Each seasonal spirit MRDC produces is a product of partnering with other local businesses and using local products.

"The power of nature churned the rye into a flour that was then returned to our distillery for fermentation.  The spirit is 100% rye and was aged over charred oak and then finished in used bourbon barrels," remarks owner/distiller Ryan Burchett.  "It was really a pleasure to work with the volunteer millers in Fulton.  They were so eager to take part in this unique venture.  They even came out and helped us bottle it!"

The whiskey has a very unique flavor and finish that is quite different than the typical rye whiskey.  "Most rye whiskey is blended with corn."  Said distiller Garrett Burchett.  "We like to let people experience the complexities of the grain, so this one is 100% rye.  Just as you'd expect from a rye bread, this spirit is a little heavier and more complicated.  We've been amazed at how it opens and evolves in the glass in between sips.  It's been a lot of fun to hear all the different flavors people are pulling out of it."

As with each of their seasonal spirits, the rye whiskey will be a limited release.  Distillers and volunteers bottled approximately 3,200 bottles.  Windmill Rye Whiskey will also be specially featured at MRDC's First Friday event on Friday, February 3 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Fans of MRDC spirits should also mark your calendars now for the next big release, Cody Road Bourbon Whiskey.  The second release of this much sought after spirit will be Friday, March 2, with distillery doors opening at 10 a.m.  The first release in December saw 120 bottles sell out at the distillery within four hours with the rest of the 1,000 bottle batch selling out in just 3 days at retailers.

Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process and end in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples of products for those patrons over 21 years of age.

####

Support the River Cities' Reader

Get 12 Reader issues mailed monthly for $48/year.

Old School Subscription for Your Support

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Old School Subscribe now.



Help Keep the Reader Alive and Free Since '93!

 

"We're the River Cities' Reader, and we've kept the Quad Cities' only independently owned newspaper alive and free since 1993.

So please help the Reader keep going with your one-time, monthly, or annual support. With your financial support the Reader can continue providing uncensored, non-scripted, and independent journalism alongside the Quad Cities' area's most comprehensive cultural coverage." - Todd McGreevy, Publisher