White wine, an icy martini, vodka shots and possibly a glass of Pilsner comes to mind when you see chilled oysters on a bed of pebble ice. Rye whisky, though? Oh, definitely especially if the rye spent some of the time during its maturing period travelling by sea. This is true of Trey Zoeller, the man behind Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Rye, the company's most recent release. This is the very first of the 26 bottles that Jeffersons has released so far that uses rye despite having aged bourbon on the waves for ten years. Even without the sea ageing, the whisky would be very unique. It was sourced from Canada, aged for around five years, and then put into a blend of new, charred and new, toasted American oak barrels before sailing. In less than 30 days after reaching land, Ocean rye was bottled at 48% ABV without chill filtration after sailing across the globe for more than six months.
After which it was immediately bottled at 48% ABV without chill filtration upon reaching land.
So how do the crashing waves and salty air impact the finished product? According to Trey Zoeller, Like Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon, the whisky's caramel aromas will be accentuated by the frequent moment in the barrel and temperature swings, particularly the intense hey when we approach the equator. Due to the barrels' exposure to sea air, we also experience a brininess. In the end, maturing at sea will counteract the rye's spice and provide a type with more weight or mouth feel.
It's not exactly unusual to pair oysters and whisky. The salinity and sea air vibe of Bowmore, a Scotch single malt distilled on the rugged coast of Islay, complement raw oysters beautifully; they've popularised the oyster luge, in which a trickle of whisky is poured into the shell along with the meat and being and the three are slurred up together. It's not very common, nevertheless, to serve rye with oysters. That won't be the situation for very long if Zoeller gets his way. The whisky's soft spice, toffee notes, and sweetness pick up the brine from the oysters and carry it wonderfully, the author remarks. In addition, he mentions how well-suited luges made from Ocean Rye are: ” You couldn't assist but to have the best time” The whiskey's “soft spice, toffee notes, and sweetness pick up the brine from the oysters and carry it wonderfully,” the author remarks. In addition, he mentions how well-suited luges made from Ocean Rye are: “You cannot help but have a good time.”
Oysters from the James River are mild, sweet, and meaty. If you are unable to locate them, West Coast Kumamotos are smaller but have a comparable flavour. If you don't like oysters raw, Zoeller suggests heating them in a soup that also contains Pacaran Rye. Of course, the ideal situation is to be able to compare and contrast both.
