Producer’s Corner: RyeLaw, InchDairnie Distillery

When Fife based distiller InchDairnie launched RyeLaw, the world’s first malted rye whisky, a few eyebrows were raised. 

Inspired by the quintessentially American Rye whisky, InchDairnie dared to revive the grain’s use in Scotch. 

But working with rye is notoriously difficult. It can clog up and block traditional equipment, and unlike in America where they add enzymes to help convert the scratch to sugar, no additional catalyst can be added to the mash in making Scotch whisky.

‘Rye was historically used to make Scotch, it just fell out of fashion for many years,’ said Scott Sneddon, Managing Director at InchDairnie Distillery.

‘That is where the initial idea came from, and we were influenced by the US in terms of the mash bill or rather this was our guide. 

‘We didn’t want to create an American rye whiskey, we wanted to be true to our Scottish roots, daring to revive the grain’s common use, but taking it to a new level by malting the cereal.  

‘Unmalted rye is often used in the USA but here it is not allowable to add enzymes to convert starch to sugar. 

‘In Scotland, whisky must be made wholly natural and therefore, together with the spice balance reason, the rye is malted.

‘Rye is a much more flavour rich grain than barley. 

‘Unmalted, it can be too spicy and intense, whereas malted rye is more balanced giving a deft counterpoint to the fruity malted barley with exquisite rye spice and richness. 

‘It gives RyeLaw a tantalising, peppery spiciness with a beautiful aromatic scent, while the years of maturation in new charred oak adds further layers of vanilla sweetness and mature oak.’

The team at InchDairnie use a mash filter, with the aid of a hammer mill (as opposed to the traditional roller mill) that smashes the grain into fine powder, enabling the mash filter to extract more flavour. 

RyeLaw is comprised of 53% malted rye and 47% malted barley, so it adheres to the definition of a US rye whisky, greater than 51% rye, distilled at less than 80% abv and then filled in new charred oak barrels. 

Scott Sneddon.

As it currently stands in Scotch Whisky regulations, InchDairnie is unable to label, market and sell it as Rye Whisky, whereas distilleries outside of Scotland that use a similar process can.

Locally-sourced grains are used in RyeLaw’s production. For the 2017 vintage of RyeLaw, it was grown by two farmers at Rosskeen farm.

‘It is our unique process equipment which sets us apart, enabling us to work with different grains and therefore, create different flavours,’ Scott said. 

‘The first vintage from RyeLaw was distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2022. 

‘This Scottish Rye is a limited release and is the outcome of just a single week’s production, meaning that only 200 casks of this particular vintage were ever bottled, to be released worldwide.

‘We experiment with various yeast strains and employ a special hammer mill for fine grinding, resulting in unique flavours. 

‘Our maturation process involves using a variety of cask types, including new oak from different regions and casks seasoned with various wines and spirits, to develop complex flavours over time. 

‘Our Fife distillery features innovative equipment like the Meura mash filter and double condensers in stills to maximise flavour extraction and create distinctive spirits.’

The distillery uses a bespoke still which was created to exact the optimum flavour level and a strength of exactly 72% ABV. It has six bubble cap trays in its neck which allows them to distil with particular precision.

‘RyeLaw is the only whisky in the world which is made using rye and distilled in a bespoke Lomond Hill still, a copper pot still with six copper bubble cap plates inside its neck.

‘Named after the hills which overlook InchDairnie Distillery, the Lomond Hill still was designed by founder, Ian Palmer. 

‘The still is so unique and was created to exact the optimum flavour level and a strength of exactly 72% ABV without fluctuations in the technique of ‘precision distilling’.

‘Inside, there are six internal rectification plates with bubble caps in the neck, allowing for higher reflux, resulting in more control during the distillation process and ultimately creating a more refined spirit at optimum flavour. 

‘As the only precision-distilled, malted rye Scotch whisky in the world – RyeLaw is a stand-out in modern distilling, in a field of its own.’

Find out more at www.inchdairniedistillery.com/ryelaw

Read more Producer’s Corner here.

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