Catoctin Creek Roundstone Distillers Edition Rye Whiskey

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Roundstone Rye Distiller’s Edition reflects Becky Harris’ selection of particularly interesting barrels from the warehouse. Only one barrel in ten is chosen for this 92-proof release. The whisky is bottled as a single barrel at 46%, distinguishing it from the regular 80-proof version at 40%. The European version contains 0.7 litres. Its mash consists of 100% locally sourced, organically grown rye. Mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation all take place at Catoctin Creek in Virginia.

Distilled in small batches, this rye matures in new charred American oak barrels. Warm notes of butterscotch and maple combine with peppery spice, while leather and oak remain present on the palate. Caramel and white pepper add to the flavour profile. The higher bottling strength does not make this edition a cask-strength release. It is neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: A pronounced aroma of sweet pastries sits alongside honey and butterscotch on the nose. A tart lemon note, linseed oil and restrained spices complete the impression.
• Palate: Confectionery-like sweetness unfolds on the palate with vanilla, cocoa, hazelnut, maple sugar and mocha. Cinnamon and clove combine with lemon zest to create a tart, spicy contrast balanced by honey. Butterscotch emerges later.
• Finish: Lemon peel and nutmeg shape the medium-length finish. Butterscotch lingers alongside restrained spices.

Distillery/Bottler:

Becky and Scott Harris founded the Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in 2009 in Purcellville, in Virginia’s Loudoun Valley. It was the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before Prohibition. As Chief Distiller, Becky Harris brings her training as a chemical engineer and her experience with industrial production processes to whisky making. Roundstone Rye draws on Virginia’s historic rye tradition and is an official Catoctin Creek bottling.

The distillery ferments its mash with the grain at room temperature in closed stainless-steel vessels. For batch distillation, it uses a copper hybrid still from Kothe that combines a pot still with a column. A run takes around nine hours, and the column allows reflux to be controlled. When selecting barrels, Becky’s team first tastes the whisky at cask strength, then diluted to 92 and 80 proof. This helps them assess which barrel is suited to each Roundstone release.

Facts: