Following the successful release of our first three Oxford Rye Whisky batches, we’re excited to reveal The Graduate, the fourth batch of Oxford Rye Whisky.
With 1428 bottles available at 51.3% per bottle, the fourth batch is our largest bottling and highest proof yet, boasting bigger and bolder flavours.
At The Oxford Artisan Distillery, responsible farming is at the very heart of our whisky making; taking our time, regenerating the land and supporting biodiversity with every bottle.
Read on to discover the story behind our fourth batch of Oxford Rye Whisky – and why it’s called The Graduate.
HARVESTING ‘THE GRADUATE’ GRAINS
We harvested the organic heritage grain used for this batch just after we opened the distillery’s doors, in the Autumn of 2017 and we’re really proud that this batch was distilled entirely from grain grown in sandy soils just 7 miles from our Oxford distillery.
It was a diverse maslin grain harvest, with several strains of grain growing together including multiple ancient heritage rye strains, wheat strains and even a few oats and a few thistles.
It is the authenticity of letting nature take its course in a healthy, diverse field, with several different grains that results in giving our whisky its unique, signature flavour.
Our rye is amazingly powerful thanks to a long fermentation in Hungarian oak vats, contributing fruity and creamy notes.
Flaking the grain in a centenary mill and double-distilling in our bespoke stills, brings toasty sourdough smokiness, beautifully combined with sweet vanilla and toffee notes.
TASTING NOTES AND AROMAS
Our intricate production techniques alongside the sandy soil the grains were grown in produces our whisky’s distinct flavour profile.
The Graduate evokes an attractive aroma of refreshing spices, aniseed and pepper, a hint of flowers and mint, blackened banana and bramley apple. You’ll also notice the nostalgic scent of old leather alongside fragrances of candied ginger cake, yum yums and toasted almonds.
As for taste, discover hints of blackcurrant, salt, banana, creamy custard, and the alluring flavour of dark chocolate, chilli, black pepper and liquorice. Our whisky also boasts a luxuriously creamy and silky texture, hints of espresso and a lingering toasted sourdough smokiness.
A GOOD HARVEST LEADS TO GREAT WHISKY
The distillery’s grain contributes to soil health in the English countryside, and is grown specifically for the distillery, making The Oxford Artisan Distillery the only distillery in the world with a license to use these populations of heritage grains, farmed exclusively for flavour and not yield.
Francisco Rosa, Master Distiller comments: “With its Oxford origins, this whisky perfectly captures the exuberant energy of our distillery, as well as the value and significance of what we are achieving at The Oxford Artisan Distillery. This is Oxford Rye Whisky post-education.”
Matured in six American Oak casks with different origins, toasts, sizes (both 130L and 225L) and maturation in different microclimates from several cooperages, this whisky is beautifully complex.
Boasting refreshing spices and herbs, sweet ginger cakes, old books, berries, banana, creamy custard, salty roasted nuts and toffee, this whisky can be enjoyed neat, with a dash of water or in classic cocktails.
Crafted using diverse strains of grain and regenerative farming methods, enjoy the signature flavours of our Oxford Rye Whisky Batch Four: The Graduate, available now from our online shop.