Matchbook Distilling Metamodernity Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey
Matchbook Distilling Metamodernity Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey is a single malt Empire Rye distilled in Greenport, New York, from 100% Danko rye grown by Thor Oechsner in the Finger Lakes — malted and smoked with cherrywood by Valley Malt, double pot distilled, aged more than two years in new charred American oak (char #4), and finished in a reconstructed barrel fitted with salvaged cherrywood barrel heads. Bottled at 49% ABV in a 750mL bottle. Find more in our rye whiskey collection.
- Style: Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey (Empire Rye)
- ABV: 49% (98 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Producer: Matchbook Distilling Co., Greenport, New York
- Region: New York, USA
Cherrywood Smoke, From Malt to Barrel Head
Cherry runs through every step of this whiskey. The Danko rye is floor-malted and dried over cherrywood smoke at Valley Malt in Hadley, Massachusetts; after two-plus years in new charred oak, the whiskey rests an additional month in a barrel rebuilt with barrel heads milled from air-dried local cherrywood, adding a rich tannic pop. It is Matchbook's first release under the Empire Rye designation — New York's own appellation, which requires at least 75% New York-grown grain, distillation to no more than 160 proof, and a minimum of two years in charred new oak, all at a single New York distillery. It sits at the experimental end of American whiskey.
Tasting Notes
In the distiller's own words: almond cherry sponge cake soaked in cognac — marzipan and dark cherry over rye spice, with a gentle thread of sweet smoke and a long, tannic finish.
How to Enjoy
Matchbook suggests it all on its lonesome — neat, by the fire, with a companion. It also anchors a remarkable Manhattan. Compare it with its sibling, the Metamodernity Bourbon Whiskey, and see our Holiday Gift Guide for more gift-worthy bottles.
FAQ
What is a single malt rye? A whiskey made from 100% malted rye at one distillery — here, malted Danko rye that is also smoked with cherrywood before distillation.
What does cherrywood-smoked mean? The malted rye is dried over cherrywood smoke, and the finished whiskey is rested in a barrel with cherrywood heads, layering fruit and smoke into the spirit.
Where is it made? Mashed, fermented, double pot distilled, barreled and aged by Matchbook Distilling Co. in Greenport, New York.
This bottle is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, with nationwide shipping where legal.