Far North Spirits Roknar Minnesota Rye Whiskey

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Detailed Description
Far North Roknar rye whiskey is just one of many appealing-looking drams coming out of Far North Spirits in Hallock, MN. Far North Spirits is distilling vertical integration to a T; with its “field-to-glass” ethic, Far North takes the grain-to-glass idea one step further, farming their own grains from which all of their spirits are distilled. All of their spirits (save their Alander spiced rum, which is made from domestic sugar) are made from non-GMO AC Hazlet Winter Rye. 80% of Roknar’s mash bill, Hazlet is a rye that was developed in the ‘90s, and which fares very well in cold Canadian winters due to its shorter stature and ability to avoid tipping over in extreme weather conditions. Considering Far North’s geography, choosing grains that can survive Canadian winters must have been imperative to their success. The corn that makes up 10% of Roknar’s mash bill is a mix of Blue River organic corn, and Minnesota 13, a non-GMO heirloom yellow dent corn, a variety that in 1936 “was the most popular variety in the US Northern Corn Belt”.
Far North Spirits Roknar Minnesota Rye Whiskey Tasting Notes
Nose: Melting gelato, dried rose petal, and honeycomb outline the nose, with fresh grain, a little spice, and dark cherry filling in. Rubber tires, molasses, and gingersnaps follow. The overwhelming takeaway from the nose start to finish, however, is honeycomb.
Palate: Butter poached plum, dried cherry, black pepper, and shortbread meet sawdust on the palate. Clean, simple, and rich.
Finish: On the finish, sawdust turns to cardboard and graham crackers, dried apple, honey, ginger, and more black pepper. Roknar’s finish is nice and long, without losing any simplicity—honeyed from start to finish.
Distillery Information
Far North Spirits, Inc. is a company based out of 2045 220th Avenue, Hallock, Minnesota, United States. The exhilarating goal at Far North Spirits is to make Minnesota a leader in the production of rye grain and world-class rye whiskey.