Oxford Rye By The Oxford Artisan Distillery Review

Reviewed by Gina Reedy

I was really pleased to be asked to review the new Oxford Rye produced by The Oxford Artisan Distillery. The item arrived very quickly. It was well packaged in a cardboard tube and cardboard bottle box. I was pleased to see that all the packaging was recyclable and there was no unnecessary packaging. It felt good quality and carefully considered. When sending glass in the post I imagine that it is always a balance between not having excessive packaging versus it arriving complete and The Oxford Artisan Distillery had got it just right.

On opening the package I could see the top of the bottle with its black-topped cork and paper seal. The branding is a retro modern style with the copper still logo with Rye heads either side. It reminded me of the Great Gatsby era. The lettering is in black, edged in the same copper, on a cream background. It is a very distinctive label and I liked the square bottle with the rounded edges. It looks like a quality product and the drink itself has a rich caramel colour.

The Oxford Artisan Distillery have some impressive goals when it comes to their ethos and their impact on sustainability and the World. They use heritage grains that are grown exclusively for them, by their farming partner, within 50 miles of Oxford. They are the only distillery in the world to use ancient heritage grains to produce their full range of spirits, in their two hand made copper stills. They support ancient methods of farming and encourage biodiversity in the Oxfordshire countryside, whilst distilling their quality spirits.

They explain in their website that the two stills were commissioned from the ‘best of distilling practice, Victorian engineering and imagery from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues under the sea.’ From these bespoke stills they create a range of Whiskys, Gins and Vodkas; my bottle of Oxford Rye being one of them.

In order to open the product I had to break the paper seal and pull out the cork stopper to a satisfying pop! Despite it being 40% proof it did not have an overwhelming alcohol smell that I had expected rather the aroma was very pleasant with notes of caramel and warming sandalwood. This must be due to the original American Oak casks that the Rye is rested in after it is distilled from the ancient heritage grains. I decided that I would try it neat first and then as a long drink, as after a long week of work we had our Cocktail Friday (a practice that came about with the adults in my household during lockdown).

The Oxford Rye is a very, very smooth spirit. I was pleased to taste a warm yet light flavour on my tongue. It had the satisfying glow as it went down. I think this is a spirit, drunk neat, that you could enjoy on a cold winter’s evening in front of a fire.

So onto the Cocktail. We mixed the Rye with cold ginger ale; ice and a splash of fresh orange juice. It made a very refreshing long drink. The Oxford Rye mixed well with the ginger notes and the cocktail was such a success we had it a couple of nights in a row.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Oxford Artisan Distillery itself it is possible to book tours on their website. I would definitely like to go the next time that I am visiting Oxford. They also have a garden bar that is open at the weekend (opening times are on their website).

We all agreed that we will definitely be drinking Oxford Rye at Christmas with the extended family. The quality of the spirit is second to none so we will be trying The Oxford Artisan Distillery Gins and Vodkas, too. I recommend that you go out and buy a bottle now as it would make a great Father’s day gift.

Rating: 5/5

The price for the Rye: £42

For more information: www.theoxfordartisandistillery.com