A little background

Kooper Family Whiskey is located in Ledbetter, Texas. Founded in 2012, the blending house concept started out as a hobby for husband and wife duo Troy and Michelle Kooper. That hobby quickly turned into a 100% family-owned and operated whiskey blending business. Sourcing whiskey and carefully blending small batches together is how Kooper Family Whiskey gets its unique flavor profile. Aged a total of 8.9 years, Kooper Family – Runaway Rye is a three barrel blend of Tennessee distilled Straight Rye Whiskey. After making its way to the Texas prairie, Runaway Rye was aged and masterfully blended before being bottled at 100 Proof. This whiskey carries a retail price of $70 USD.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Gold

Nose

Strawberry, cherry, vanilla, orange Jello-O mix, dark maple syrup, and spice.

Palate

Rye spice, vanilla, lemon, and candied cherries.

Finish

Fig newton, sweet pipe tobacco, vanilla, and lingering rye spice.

In closing

To no surprise, Kooper Family – Runaway Rye is an outstanding Straight Rye Whiskey. I say that because each of the other products we’ve had a chance to review have been nothing short of fantastic. Troy and Michelle Kooper have proved themselves over and over again when it comes to both sourcing great barrels and blending them into wonderful small batch releases.

Runaway Rye opens up on the nose with a fresh zing of sweet candied fruit notes. Although I wouldn’t describe the palate as overly viscous, it definitely packs a punch of flavor. The finish on Runaway Rye is quite pleasant and will leave begging for more. If you come across any Kooper Family whiskey, I would absolutely recommend picking up a bottle (or three).

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Kooper Family. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.