Oxford Rye Whisky #9 The Tawny Pipe (70cl, 56%)

The Tawny Pipe is Batch #9 of Oxford Rye Whisky from Oxford Artisan Distillery, in a 70cl bottle at a cask strength of 56%. The grain bill was 70% rye, 20% wheat and 10% barley. Distilled in 2017, it first matured in new American oak, then spent a further two years and nine months in tawny port pipe number 114. That pipe had made port for 30 years; the number is not the whisky's age. It is the first single cask release in the Oxford Rye series and yielded 587 bottles. It is non-chill-filtered and has no added colour. The nose combines grapefruit, raspberry, plum, banana split and muscovado, with fennel, hazelnut and cinnamon. The palate is creamy, like crème brûlée, with raisins, plums and spice. The finish brings black and pink pepper, mint and mango chutney.