What Jeff's Drinking Now: Colonel E.H. Taylor Rye

Colonel E.H. Taylor Rye

The Colonel Taylor line came out right after I had finished reading a book on bourbon and American whiskey. One of the more prominent figures in the book was Colonel E.H. Taylor. Taylor brought about legislation to control the production of American whiskey. Have you ever noticed “Bonded In Bond” on a bottle? You can thank Colonel Taylor for that. Before his legislation went through, anything and everything could have a label with bourbon slapped on it. People were passing off alcohol with anything from caramel to formaldehyde in it to give it color.

Of course, Taylor may have had a vested interest given his ownership of the Old Fire Copper Distillery which is now where the Buffalo Trace Distillery is. This leads us to Buffalo Trace putting out a whole line of product in his honor. There were 6 products in the line originally with 2 being very limited and 2 being released annually.

The Taylor Rye is one that is going to be released annually. The one I’ve been sipping on lately is beautiful. There’s the classic spice that belongs in every good rye, but the mid-palate finds the barrel coming through. There are nice notes of toffee and general sweetness which rounds back in to the spice we all know and love from rye whiskey.

We have plenty here at Fiola. Come by and enjoy a great example of what rye should be. 

Cheers,
Jeff

 

Jeff Faile Demos "Smoke Gets In Your Rye"

Fiola Bar Manager Jeff Faile demonstrates how to make his popular cocktail, Smoke Gets in  Your Rye, in this new video from the Washingtonian. This video is a supplement to the magazine's Great Bars 2013 issue, out this month.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/62094884

Bar Manager and Mixologist Jeff Faile

Build a Better Bar IQ: Bourbon vs Rye

Despite being usually linked together, there is quite a difference between bourbon and rye whiskey. Both are produced from a mash of grains (rye, corn, barley, wheat, etc), but for someone to make bourbon, however, the mash they use must be made up of at least 51 percent corn (most distillers use closer to 70 percent). Then the distillate must be aged for at least two years in charred American white oak barrels with no artificial coloring added.  Rye whiskey has the same qualifications with the exception of the mash must contain at least 51% rye. Most ryes are around 95-100%.

How does this affect taste? Think of it like this. Take two slices of bread, one whole wheat, the other rye and take a bite of both. The whole wheat is going to have a sweetness about it, the rye will have spice. That translates to bourbon and rye, too. Take a sip of Maker’s Mark for instance. Maker’s has wheat in the mash and is considered one of the sweeter bourbons on the market. If you take a sip of Rittenhouse Rye you’ll immediately notice the spice coming through. Yes, there’ll be a slight bit of sweetness from the barrel aging not nearly as much as the bourbon will have.

There you have it. Now, go out and buy a bottle of each and try it for yourself at home! I promise you won’t ever have a better homework assignment!

Cheers,

Jeff

Jeff Faile
Bar Manager & Mixologist

New Year's Drinking Resolutions

I fully admit I’m a creature of habit. That can come from the need to have everything in exactly the right place behind the bar so I can get your drinks out faster, the rapid onset of OCD because of the aforementioned need for placement, or perhaps it’s just, well, I’m boring. This year, I promise to expand my drinking horizons.

• Drink more brown spirits: See, this is where it gets tricky. I’ve always fancied bourbon and scotch, but it’s time to branch out. I have my usual rotation of bourbons at the house or when I go out. It’s time to spice things up. Let’s drink rye this year! A nicely aged rye can compete with any bourbon out there and even add some spice to the mix. For scotch? Well, I admit I like the peaty Islays. Let’s go to the other side of the world and make it the year of Japanese single malts! Has anyone had Nikka, yet? It’s new to DC, and I think it could be my single malt of choice this year.
• Drink lighter alcohol cocktails/spirits: Part of my job is to go out and drink. Sounds tough, doesn’t it? When you’re at a function with people of importance, you certainly don’t want to have more than you should of the potent drinks. This year when I go out, I’m going to start having more spritzes. The Aperol Spritz is perfect for this. You get tremendous flavor of orange, rhubarb, and gentian from the Aperol with the alcohol content no more than a glass of wine. Add some prosecco and club soda and you have yourself a refreshing cocktail that won’t make you the, um, life of the party. Another good way? Try some vermouth on the rocks with a twist of citrus. I’m not talking about your parents’ 6 year old bottle of Martini & Rossi that has 2 inches of dust on it. Splurge on a bottle of Carpano Antica or even go with Cocchi Vermouth di Torino at half the price. Want something lighter? A Dolin Blanc with a slice of orange is perfect in the summer.
• Invest in a good tequila: We’ve all had the moment with tequila in college. That harsh shot with lime and salt was the cause of far too many rough mornings in the world. Tequila has undergone a renaissance, however. Even a silver tequila from Milagro provides a taste that doesn’t need lime and salt to make it palatable. My goal this year is to own a beautiful anejo. Anejo tequila is aged in oak barrels from 1 to 3 years and can be as elegant as a sipping whisk(e)y. They can range anywhere from honey notes to tropical notes depending on the producer. 

There you have it; 3 ways I plan on drinking better this year. Let’s all make it a point to branch out and try new things. Let me know what some of yours are.

Cheers,

Jeff Faile

Fiola Bar Manager & Mixologist

Drink This Now.

For those who have followed the Fiola newsletter or have spent any amount of time at the bar with me, you know I'm a fan of the brown spirits. I will drink them year round, but with the cold in the air I tend to enjoy them more this time of year. 

My favorite to sip on at the house is from the folks at Willett. Now, Willett is a different sort. Up until recently, their distillery wasn't operational. They have tasters who go around to other distilleries and handpick single barrels to label as their own. This offers up an endless variety for them. 

Sadly, it also means you're not likely to be able to stock up on your favorite sampling from them either.

Willett offers up both bourbon and rye, and I'm enjoying the rye more than anything else right now. The rye is aged 4 years and comes in at a healthy 120 proof. It's not for the faint of heart, but even with that alcohol content the rye shows through. There's nice caramel notes to it and the wood certainly shows through in it. 

Oh, and 120 proof will certainly warm you up on a cold winter's night. If you see it at your local store, pick it up!

Cheers,

Jeff

Fiola Bar Manager Jeff Faile