The Grain Exchange Reserve – Manitoba Rye Whisky

Description

The Grain Exchange Reserve
100% Manitoba Rye Whisky
750mL @ 55% ABV

What’s in the Bottle?
Years ago, we decided that Hazlet Winter Rye, an open-pollinated, heirloom grain known for its intense spice profile, was the only grain we wanted to use for Patent 5’s rye whisky. We mash grain-on, using our favourite whisky yeast, and then slowly pot distill it to best capture the whole array of flavor and aroma present in the grain. But distillation can only capture the flavours present in the grain, and the final quality of that flavour comes not only from the type of grain chosen, but also how it’s grown. Rye Grown in Manitoba’s unique terroir has to contend with a short growing season and extreme summer heat. It’s often planted in sandy, marginal soil that can’t support other crops, and endures long drought conditions, punctuated by intense summer storms. All of these factors create stressful growing conditions that help develop the spicy flavour compounds that give rye its unique spice. Manitoba-grown rye is the best in the world, and we blend an array of traditional and modern techniques in our whisky making process to best capture that essence.

Once distilled, our rye is barrelled in new oak casks and laid to rest in our barrel racks. At maturity, each barrel is carefully assessed for flavour and balance. For the Grain Exchange Reserve, we chose to maximize the spice character, giving it a long lasting and memorable finish. This is an annual release, coming out in November of each year, in time for the Distinctions Premium Spirit Release.

Why call it The Grain Exchange?
The Winnipeg Grain Exchange was founded in 1887 and operated in the Exchange district as the center of Manitoba grain and commodity futures trading for almost 100 years. It was a hub for Manitoba farmers to export grain grown in one of the world’s richest farming regions to the broader markets. We thought it was the perfect name to convey both the quality of Manitoba-grown grains, and celebrate the role Winnipeg has played in the distribution of those grains globally. The quality of this whisky was made possible by the attention to detail paid to the grain at every step of the process, from the field to the bottle.