Houston-based craft producer Yellow Rose Distilling has launched Harris County bourbon, a high rye whiskey.
Named for the county in which the distillery is located, Harris County fits the characteristics of a high rye bourbon with 25% of the recipe coming from Texas-grown rye.
The whiskey also contains all Texas-grown corn and malted barley.
On the nose are notes of brown sugar, cherry, fruit-wood smoke, toasted pecan and tobacco, the company reports. The palate contains brown sugar and cinnamon, followed by pecan pie, balancing the spice profile, paired with toasted coconut, black tea and peanuts. The finish is sweet, with a pop of cinnamon candy.
Yellow Rose Harris County bourbon is 92 proof. It has a suggested retail price of $44.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
Yellow Rose Harris County bourbon debuts across Texas, California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Florida this month. Distribution is through Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
Established in 2012, Yellow Rose Distillery also bottles their American, Rye and the flagship Outlaw Bourbon expressions, alongside several limited batches.
“We selected Texas grown grains, settled on double pot distilling and a low entry proof to barrel,” says Michael Langan, GM of Yellow Rose Distillery. “This allows us to highlight our region as well as the expertise of our team, while paying homage to pre-prohibition techniques that we feel allow us to balance the maturation of this whiskey within our dynamic local climate. Despite its low entry proof, we choose to bottle at 92 proof to maintain density of flavor and mouthfeel that was hard earned in our slow double pot distillation and 30 months in the Texas heat and humidity.”
Adds Houston Farris, head distiller at Yellow Rose Distillery, “The addition of Harris County rounds out the Yellow Rose portfolio perfectly. While most high rye bourbons are typically described as having a spicy character, we wanted more than spice alone, it needed to have an underlying sweetness with the typical vanilla, caramel, coconut notes. We are using all Texas grown and malted grains. We have the power of the Southeast Texas climate during maturation, and, in that regard, Harris County is not an imitation, nor can it be imitated,”
The Yellow Rose Distillery visitor center also recently underwent a significant upgrade. Features include a brand-new bar, lounge, presentation and tasting rooms, well as a new 1,200 sq-ft. outdoor deck.
