In the event you’re acquainted with the blogs right here on GreatDrams, you’ve most likely observed how I’m a giant fan of a bourbon whiskey, notably in the course of the summer season months. When barbequing, grilling, smoking, or incinerating sausages, there’s nothing I take pleasure in greater than sipping on a bourbon over ice, typically even with a mixer if I’m feeling particularly adventurous.
As I kind this, we’re merely days away from Christmas, I’ve acquired my lights on at 1.30 within the afternoon, it’s gray, it’s drizzly, and it’s chilly. It’s actually not BBQ climate, so why am I speaking about American whiskey and BBQ? Nicely, that’s as a result of I’ve acquired one thing a bit bit completely different for you at the moment.
Whereas looking the net one night, I got here throughout an advert from an up-and-coming Scottish firm specialising in BBQ rubs and seasonings. This advert caught my eye as a result of it wasn’t selling one in all their rubs (that are distinctive, by the way in which) however slightly, it was selling ‘Ryelander’, a “Scottish Grain Spirit” which sounded lots like whisky to me. Intrigued, I did a bit extra digging, and right here’s what I came upon.
Who’re Angus & Oink?
Not too long ago, I’ve gotten extra into my BBQ and smoking meat, as I’m positive you’ve picked up on in a couple of of my blogs over the past 12 months or so. Due to this, I used to be already acquainted with Angus & Oink, however for these of you who aren’t, permit me to fill you in.
Angus & Oink is an impartial Scottish enterprise run by husband and spouse staff Scott and Malissa Fraser. The pair started creating their very own vary of spice rubs and blends in 2014 focussing totally on BBQ, after having lived and labored in Southern US South America across the Texas/Mexico border.
In 2015 they started increasing the enterprise and offered primarily to road meals distributors, catering corporations, and native butchers. Due to their data, and the standard of their produce, they started supplying to extra venues, together with pubs and eating places throughout Scotland. This enlargement continued throughout the remainder of the UK, and finally, the entire world. They even landed a nationwide take care of Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
As they grew and advanced, they turned extra progressive. In addition to seasonings and spice rubs, they started providing different merchandise equivalent to glazes, meal kits, sauces, and alcohol. Yep, that final one caught my eye too.
In addition to a gin and pineapple rum, they now provide their very own tackle whisky/whiskey, which they’ve known as Ryelander.
What’s Ryelander?
Angus & Oink are being very secretive on the subject of this product, so I can’t offer you an excessive amount of data concerning the product I’m afraid. What I can let you know, is that it’s NOT a whisky, however is slightly a Scottish grain spirit, impressed by whisky/whiskey.
Produced in collaboration with impartial bottlers Little Brown Canine Spirits, Ryelander is a singular, limited-edition spirit that’s unable to be marketed as whisky as a result of strict pointers, legal guidelines, and laws we now have for whisky within the UK.
As Angus & Oink concentrate on BBQ, they needed to craft their very own tackle an American bourbon whiskey, whereas staying true to their Scottish roots. Consider a small batch spirit that’s form of a hybrid between Scotch and bourbon, with rye whiskey engrained in its DNA and also you’re heading in the right direction.
This dram is made with an American-style bourbon mash invoice, mixed with Scotch whisky manufacturing methods and elements. Simply to make issues much more complicated, it’s labelled as a rye spirit. For a bourbon to be a bourbon, it should have a mash invoice that includes not less than 51% corn. The truth that that is labelled as a rye spirit, together with the identify in fact, tells me that Scottish rye is the grain of alternative.
As talked about, this took place due to a collaboration with impartial bottlers Little Brown Canine Spirits, themselves a Scottish-based firm, with Andrew Smith overseeing issues.
