After four years of aging in barrels, Vancovuer Island's Stillhead Distillery released its first batch of the world’s first Garry oak-aged Rye Whisky last week.
Brennon Colebank, Stillhead’s owner and master distiller, said he wanted to change people’s perception of rye whisky by intruding bolder flavours and, at the same time, try to use as much local produce and materials as possible in the creation of his new product, so he began using barrels made of Garry oak to store the whisky, adding a distinct flavour to it until it's ready for distribution.
Garry oak is the only species of oak that is native to British Columbia, and its range is limited to small areas on the east coast of Vancouver Island and along the Pacific Northwest.
Colebank said the Garry oak barrels provide darker flavours of molasses, cherries and butterscotch to the rye whisky that is unique and very distinct.
“Garry oak barrels have been used for the production of single-malt whisky at distilleries in Washington and Oregon, but this is the first time they’ve been used for rye whisky, so our new whisky will be our own local flavour,” he said.
“I sourced some Garry oak barrels from Oregon to get started, but we’re making our own now from Garry oak trees from around here that have come down in windstorms and other natural means, which is legal as long as they come down naturally.”
