Far North Roknar Minnesota Rye Whiskey

Valhalla

Wet cardboard.

I heard Michael Swanson, the distiller/farmer who makes this whiskey, on Whisky Cast a few weeks back. He's a fellow Lutheran from the sound of things, so I simply had to check out his juice. The verdict: not bad, but not great, either. This is the most vegetal rye I think I've tasted - carrot, dill, parsley, some nuttiness from the sherry, and a little bit of spice. There's just something not quite right, though - my money is on age of the spirit, with cask selection being runner up. They make a couple of other ryes that I'd like to try; I get a sense that the basics for good whiskey are present here, but just need a little more time and nurturing to really live up to their potential.