Kooper Family Rye

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. A blend of two distinct rye whiskeys, Kooper Family Rye is presented at 90 proof. A three-year-old rye whiskey from Indiana (95% rye mash) is blended with a rye whiskey from Tennessee (51% rye mash) and then allowed to age further in ex-bourbon barrels so that the whiskeys have a chance to mingle before being bottled. Kooper Family Rye has a retail price of around $40.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Golden Straw

Nose

French vanilla, raisins, and rye grain are the first notes to spring from the glass, but after a minute the raisin fades to notes of a doughy, slightly undercooked cinnamon roll.

Palate

The cinnamon is even more dominant on the palate, and while the sweetness never moves beyond a general sugary note, in combination with a slightly yeastier dough note than the nose has, it works.

Finish

Raisins return right at the start of the finish, fading to a rye spice note that hangs onto the palate in the corners of the mouth. The finish is bold and strong to start, but fades quickly to a gentle tickle at the back of the palate that eventually carries a slightly grainy rye note. No heat in the chest or throat to speak of.

In closing

I enjoyed this pour, although it took a moment to open up which is strange for something at 90 proof. The initial grain and raisin were slightly off-putting, but after a few minutes the nose opens up into a tasty cinnamon pastry. The palate is all baking spice and some slightly doughy notes that further solidify the pastry descriptor. The raisins return on the finish which is a note I don’t love personally. The finish drops off fast, but doesn’t disappear, and it actually carries on for a while after the initial burst of flavor. This was a unique pour, and it surprised me how much I liked this once the pastry notes opened up fully. While not the biggest fan of that raisin note, for $40 I’m still buying this bottle because of the sweet pastry-like profile, and because ultimately I think it’s worth it.

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