Eucalyptus | Fresh mint | Lemon | Honey | Butterfinger candy bar

Toffee | Lemon meringue pie | Honey | Mint | Sweet oak | Slightly creamy

Light rye spice | Vanilla | Toasted oak | Lingering black pepper | Touch of chocolate

Bendistillery was founded in 1996 in Bend, Oregon, by Jim Bendis and is credited as one of America’s earliest craft distilleries. The distillery became known for emphasizing local Oregon ingredients, Cascade Mountain water filtered through volcanic rock, and Northwest-inspired branding and flavors. In 2026, Hood River Distillers acquired the Crater Lake Spirits portfolio, though Bendistillery continues to produce and bottle the spirits at its Bend facility.

Bendistillery produces two ryes: Crater Lake Straight American Rye, an 80 proof, 100% rye mashbill, and Crater Lake Reserve Rye, at 96 proof, 95% rye, 5% malted barley mashbill, and aged (slightly) longer. Crater Lake Reserve Rye offers a more interesting sip, with an aroma of eucalyptus, fresh mint, and lemon, a palate of toffee and lemon meringue pie, and a peppery finish.

Though the sip is a bit light in overall weight, it's well-rounded, even offering a silky, almost dairy-like impression. Flavors are well-defined, soft, and approachable, with a finish that offers a manageable peppery pop. While it comes in at 96 proof, it drinks lighter than that, but the arrangement of flavors is the star here. This isn’t an overly bold rye, but one that teases classic rye flavors and finds a way to make them subtle, without neutering them. It isn’t the most impactful rye, but one that offers a good deal of beauty in its sip.