Harvested in 2017, the grain for this release was grown just 7 miles from the distillery, in soft sandy soils. Supporting biodiversity through sustainable farming, the distillery uses only heritage organic grains grown both close to Oxford and on estates such as Highgrove and Sandringham.
The grain is grown specifically for the distillery, making TOAD the only distillery in the world with a license to use these heritage grains, farmed exclusively for flavour, not yield.
The distillery launched its first batch of Oxford Rye Whisky back in April. Consisting of six casks, this batch has been matured in a variety of American oak casks of varying toast levels and sizes.
Master distiller Francisco Rosa comments: “For those who enjoyed our first whisky release, this is The Graduate. Similar in style but with older, bigger and bolder flavours and an acquired complexity.”
“The grains bring herbal, floral, spicy and nutty notes, and the sandy soils they were grown in add a salty influence to the grain character. The fermentation in Hungarian oak vats brings fruit and boosts the lovely creamy notes. Our bespoke stills give espresso and toasted sourdough smokiness, and finally, it is the interaction with the casks, marrying all these flavour notes together, also adding sweetness, vanilla and toffee.”
Oxford Rye Whisky Batch #4 is priced at £95 and is available from many specialist retailers.