Dry Fly Port Barrel Finish Wheat Whiskey
Dry Fly Port Barrel Finish Wheat Whiskey is Dry Fly's 3-year wheat whiskey — 100% Washington soft white wheat, aged in new American oak — finished in Port wine barrels and bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV) in Spokane. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Base whiskey: 100% soft white winter wheat, 3 years in new 53-gallon American oak (#3 char)
- Finish: finished in Port barrels from Townshend Cellar (Columbia Valley, WA), which held their Huckleberry Port
- Awards: Wine Enthusiast 2020 — 94 pts; Tasting Panel Magazine 2020 — 94 pts; SFWSC 2017 Gold
A Washington Wheat Whiskey Meets Washington Port
Dry Fly's straight wheat whiskey — twice distilled in a Christian Carl still from grain grown within about 30 miles of the Spokane distillery — spends three years in new American oak before moving into Port barrels from neighboring Townshend Cellar in the Columbia Valley. The finishing barrels previously held Townshend's Huckleberry Port, and they lend the wheat whiskey a layer of dark-fruit richness it doesn't get from bourbon barrels alone. The scores followed: 94 points from both Wine Enthusiast and Tasting Panel Magazine in 2020, plus Gold at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Tasting Notes
Port-driven dark fruit — black cherry, fig, blackberry — over the wheat whiskey's vanilla and caramel base. The finish is long with dried fruit, oak spice, and a soft berry sweetness.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a single cube to let the fruit and oak integrate. The Port finish also makes it a natural after-dinner pour alongside dark chocolate — or as the base of a whiskey Manhattan where the fruit notes stand in for some of the vermouth's sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Port barrel finish add to whiskey?
Port barrels contribute dark-fruit flavors — cherry, fig, plum — plus extra sweetness and color, layering on top of the vanilla and caramel from the whiskey's original oak aging.
Is Dry Fly Port Finish a bourbon?
No — it is a wheat whiskey (100% wheat mash bill), aged 3 years in new oak and finished in Port barrels. It is labeled American Whiskey.
Where do the Port barrels come from?
Townshend Cellar, a Columbia Valley winery neighboring the distillery — the barrels previously held Townshend's Huckleberry Port.
Order Dry Fly Port Barrel Finish Wheat Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — a 94-point finished whiskey worth the shelf space.