Light pear | Peach | Faint oak | Cigar box | Wet ash | Green peppercorn | Light grain | Fresh leather | Earthy with a dab of sweetness

White pineapple | Pear | Cinnamon | Rye spice | Gentle oak | Tobacco leaf | Mixed peppercorns | Unique combination of flavors

Tropical fruit salad | Rye spice | Hint of brine | Dry charred oak | Tobacco leaf | Lingering dry spice

World Whiskey Society (WWS) was established in 2020, and according to the company’s website “comprises an ultra-premium collection of rare expressions previously unavailable to even the most sophisticated whiskey enthusiasts.” WWS seeks out whiskeys from around the world, noting they have “a singular goal in mind - uniqueness - before selecting a distillery partner to join WWS.” The company is transparent with the mashbill of the whiskey in the bottle and stands out from the crowd with their elaborate bottle designs.

For this release, the company finished sourced 12 year rye in awamori casks for an undisclosed amount of time.  Alex Kogan, CEO of World Whiskey Society states that "This marks the first time rye whiskey has been finished in these exceptional casks, proving that embracing innovation can lead to valuable insights and remarkable discoveries." For those unfamiliar with awamori, the company goes on to explain that “Awamori, indigenous and unique to Okinawa, Japan, is made using long-grain Indica rice and is traditionally stored in clay pots, with only a small proportion matured in Japanese oak casks. The technique for making Awamori has remained unchanged for more than 500 years, making the liquid extremely rare.”

Awamori casks have been used in the world of scotch, but this is the first time that one is being used to finish an American rye whiskey. The result can best be summed up as “unique.” It starts with a nose that is layered and nuanced and rewards you the longer you sit with it and pull these layers apart. Pear and peach provide a dab of sweetness, while faint oak, cigar box, green peppercorn, and leather provide an earthy contrast. This uniqueness is on display in full force in the midpoint as the sip transitions to more untraditional fruit notes along with tobacco, rye spice, and mixed peppercorns. Ending on exciting flavors of tropical fruit salad, rye spice, brine, and tobacco leaf, the whiskey continues to surprise you thanks to an unusual combination of unique flavors.

World Whiskey Society 12 Year Single Barrel Rye Finished in Awamori Cask is a whiskey drinker’s whiskey. What I mean by that is it’s a nuanced, layered, and unique natured whiskey that requires you to want to sit with the spirit for a while while you slowly dissect what’s in your glass. For those who are excited by limited release whiskeys but can’t find any in your store, this rye is a great alternative due to its unique nature and pleasing sip. I appreciate when brands push boundaries and try something new, especially when the end result delivers a different sip for the consumer that they have not experienced before.

The bottle in review is number 2905 of 5000.