The Tawny Pipe is the first single cask expression from Oxford Rye Whisky, released at cask strength. This limited release of just 587 bottles is produced from one 30-year-old tawny port pipe and matured entirely at our distillery in Oxford, this is a whisky that truly reflects the people and place which have influenced it. We’ve been eager to release this one, and sneaky tastings throughout the years have only added to the anticipation.
The liquid itself showcases the deep interaction between our sustainably-farmed heritage grains and this exceptional cask; fragrant and velvety with a combination of sweet and savoury notes.
Tasting notes
Aroma: Fruity character from refreshing grapefruit, raspberry and prunes, sweet notes of banana split, cereal, muscovado sugar and vanilla with a hint of fennel, hazelnut and cinnamon.
Palate: Creamy Creme Brûlée texture with raisins, prunes and some spices.
Finish: Black and pink peppercorns play with mint and mango chutney.
Overall: With a deep interaction between fruits and grains, this a fragrant and treacle-y whisky with sweet and savoury vibes.
MASH BILL
The Tawny Pipe follows our house mash bill of 90% maslin (70% rye and 20% wheat) and 10% malted barley, harvested in 2017, fermented in oak vats and double distilled, first in Nautilus and then in Nemo.
THE CASK STORY
The Tawny Pipe began life in 2017 as batch #009 of our Oxford Rye. Laid down initially in virgin American oak (casks 21, 22 and 79) for one and a half years to develop our signature character, it was then transferred to a single specially selected Tawny Port pipe for a further two years and nine months.
Cask 114 is one of a very few casks to have been matured exclusively onsite in the stillhouse at our Oxford site, with doors flung open to the local climate, so it’s been made in and by Oxford. It’s been on view to thousands of tour guests over the years, and occasionally sampled by VIP visitors.
THE TAWNY PORT PIPE
Our Tawny Port Pipe has had a long and distinguished career. Benefitting from 30 years in the port trade, it brings a nutty character to our Oxford Rye that’s fragrant and velvety with a combination of sweet and savoury notes.
HOW TO DRINK IT
A single cask expression deserves your undivided attention – it’s outstanding neat or with a few drops of water added – but if you were inclined to mix it up a little, Master Distiller Chico Rosa recommends a Sazerac.
‘This liquid is juicy, rich, nutty, oxidised and sweet. The dilution works really well, opens flavours, and the absinthe rinse to the glass uplifts the rye character. Try with half the amount of sugar and bitters you’d ordinarily put into a classic Sazerac, and leave the cognac out. Stir well on the ice and twist citrus peel over the top to express the oils. Garnish optional – it’s already a thing of beauty.’
IT ALL BEGINS WITH A GOOD HARVEST
Here at The Oxford Artisan Distillery, responsible farming will always be the first stage in our whisky making; taking our time, regenerating the land and supporting biodiversity with every bottle.
The organic heritage grain used for this batch was harvested in the Autumn of 2017, just after we threw open the doors to our distillery for the first time. The first casks of rye whisky were laid down within months.
It was a diverse maslin grain harvest, such is the result of letting nature take its course in a healthy, diverse field, with several different grains growing together including multiple ancient heritage rye strains, wheat strains and even a few oats and a few thistles. It is this authenticity, transported straight from our fields, that gives our whisky its flavour. We’re farming a new approach to spirits.
Rye is amazingly powerful and will always bring certain characteristics, but where our whisky is rooted in American Rye Whiskey it is certainly not American Rye Whiskey. A long fermentation in Hungarian oak vats has contributed fruity and creamy notes and toasty sourdough crust flavours come courtesy of the pot distillation in Nautilus.
As our grains ferment in our mixed culture, a lovely butter dimension comes to life and influenced by distillation and maturation, it metamorphoses from custard and pastry to white chocolate and bog butter as an earthy expression of the grain and the field. The velvety character derived from our Tawny Port Pipe adds even more depth of flavour, perfectly complementing the nuttiness and uplifting the classic sweet and savoury notes with rich pudding flavours of crème brulée, raspberries, treacle and prunes.
OUR GRAINS
We use rye, wheat and barley grain, all historically fascinating and grown from varieties that were common before 1904, when the advent of modern farming changed how crops were sown and grown.
Our heritage grain is grown sustainably, eschewing pesticides, chemical fertilisers and even manuring. There is low to no crop rotation and the crop is undersown with clover. All of this contributes to an abundance of wildflowers, insects and birds across our farms.
HERITAGE POPULATIONS
In the past, farmers grew genetically-diverse landraces that adapted to local growing conditions over many generations. Our ‘heritage populations’ are also diverse, resilient and adaptable. Each plant in the field is different, creating a crop which is more vigorous, healthy and hardy than modern monoculture crops – without the need for chemicals.
Every part of our landrace sustains the agro-ecosystem – from microorganisms in the soil, to insects buzzing and birds flying above.