Engine 49 Barrel Strength Rye

ENGINE 49 BARREL STRENGTH RYE
2021 bottling

MASH BILL – unstated (sourced from Indiana)

PROOF – 120

AGE – 2 years (though I suspect it’s older)

DISTILLERY – Amador Distillery / Dry Diggings Distillery

PRICE – $70

WORTH BUYING? – Yes

Uncorked and tasted in The Year of No Buying (The what? 🔗 here.)

My first encounter with the Engine 49 brand was an excellent bottle of barrel strength bourbon from 2018. The label stated it was aged 3 years. But the distillery owner, Cris Steller, told me it was actually aged 8 years and he didn’t want to have to print new labels just for that one batch.

That bourbon was all cherries, oak and chocolate, and dangerously easy drinking for a 120-proof whiskey. During a casual whiskey night with friends, it held its own alongside several classic Wild Turkey and Heaven Hill bourbons. Very different flavor profile, of course. But the quality was right up there.

My second Engine 49 experience was also a barrel strength bourbon, though a true barrel strength release, not watered down to 120 proof for consistency but left at its natural 137 proof and bottled from a single barrel. This was released in the summer of 2022 and I’m still nursing that bottle. Like its older, similarly rare cousin, 31n50, this Engine 49 SiB is a smoldering bonfire of a bourbon, so, a little goes a long ways. As it’s such a singular release, I bring it out on special occasions or to celebrate moments related to my home county, from which it hails. Same goes for 31n50.

These bourbons are true unicorns—not nationally distributed annual releases from some large distillery, but virtually non-distributed local releases from Amador / Dry Diggings in El Dorado County, CA. They are listed on the distillery’s website, but really the only way to get a bottle is to show up in person and ask.

On a January 2022 visit to Dry Diggings Distillery, along with their latest Rubicon Rye release (a mainstay on my home shelf) I picked up this Engine 49 Barrel Strength Rye. It was distilled in Indiana (which likely means MGP) and aged at the Amador / Dry Digging’s facilities. Although the label states an age of 2 years by course, as I mentioned above, distillery owner Cris Steller is known to skip the formality of updating labels to reflect exact contents. Like that “3 year” bourbon that was actually 8 years, this rye could very well be older.

Based on the color, it does appear older than a mere 2 years to me. At uncorking the taste was also darker and more layered than I would expect from 2-year MGP rye whiskey. It’s bottled at a hefty 120 proof, and this will mean darker colors and flavors than something watered down further. But still, all things considered, I think I’ve got some decently aged MGP rye whiskey here, which has been subjected to the infamously dry heat of El Dorado County. As with Balcones in Texas, the Northern California climate rips color and flavor from the barrel in a remarkably short amount of time, giving any Amador / Dry Diggings release intense qualities.

So here we are, a week and a half after uncorking and three pours into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.

COLOR – vibrant pumpkin and fiery oranges

NOSE – a bouquet of very fresh rye spices, black pepper, a small sprig of dried dill, the soft crusts from sliced wheat bread, vanilla in dripping caramel

TASTE – very like the nose, with a nice syrupy texture sweetening the dry flavors, with dark chocolate cake, and the caramel now more forward

FINISH – all the flavors of the taste and nose, lingering with a cooling heat like a mint

OVERALL – a classic spicy rye, and remarkably smooth for such high proof

If this is only 2 years old, so am I. 😂 Whatever its age, it has the vibrancy of youth but the ease and complexity of maturity. Whether we can credit the age itself, or the terroir where it aged, can’t be known. Likely it’s both, of course, as any whiskey is the sum total of its various influences.

If this is indeed an MGP rye whiskey, and if it’s the ubiquitous 95/5 recipe, then it’s grittier than I’m readily familiar with—gritty like charcoal black as opposed to matt black, a certain softening texture and variance. Or maybe this is the MGP 51% rye recipe, or even a blend of both…?

Whatever the mash bill and origin, once again the characteristic smoldering color of an Amador / Dry Diggings whiskey has translated to its nose, taste, and finish. This rye is vibrant in every respect. And syrupy! This helps sweeten the dry aspects just enough to allow them to still be enjoyed in all their lovely dry qualities, but without drying out the mouth as you sip it. It’s like some kind of beautifully herbed caramel sauce.

I picked up this 2021 bottle in early 2022. If whatever batch they have out now is like this one, it’s a must for rye fans. But if the current batch is its own unique outing, fine. Based on all my Engine 49 experiences to date, it’ll be something to savor whatever it is.

Cheers!