A forgotten grain, saved by the United States Department of Agriculture seed bank, flourishing back to life in the rightful home of rye whiskey. This is the incredible story of Rosen rye, a grain invented first in 1909 that saw widespread use throughout the northeast for superior whiskey production. This hardy, custom grain was used up until 1970, when incremental accidental crossbreeding eventually made it indistinguishable from other rye of the time. What's incredibly cool is that this rye varietal was likely used by the likes of all kinds of Monongahela rye producers under the Schenley umbrella, such as the Large, Finch, and Sam Thompson distilleries. Having intimately tasted many of these producers, I can say with certainty that I am a fan of what these distilleries were producing back in the day. Typical production tools of the time were cypress fermentation tanks, steam-heated barrel warehouses, and a still with a thumper/doubler, all of which Stoll & Wolfe are using too. To see some of the old methods at work today certainly warms my whiskey-loving heart.
For those who don't know Stoll & Wolfe, I'll include a few snippets from their press release on the debut release of Rosen rye.
A revival of Rosen in 2015 led to the involvement of the distillery team at Stoll & Wolfe, including Erik Wolfe and former legendary Historic Pennsylvania Michter’s Distillery master distiller Dick Stoll, to bring this grain back to whiskey making. Stoll, in particular, was directly associated with this rye, having been the last distiller to produce a run of the whiskey before the Pennsylvania-based distillery was shuttered.
Unfortunately, Stoll, who distilled the first Rosen Rye in nearly 50 years in 2019, passed away before the final whiskey was released.
“Dick’s legacy is part of the founding story of Stoll & Wolfe,” said Wolfe. “This Rosen Rye whiskey we are releasing at four years of age reflects his vision in how we produce this heritage grain expression.”
A unique thing to note with this whiskey’s release is its ties to the family story of Stoll & Wolfe. The Rosen Rye grown for it comes from the Kline Family Farm, just two miles from the Lititz, PA-based distillery. The farm has a family connection with the distillery, as their shared 7x great grandfather William Kline started the farm in 1741, with it remaining in the family.
“I’m proud of my family’s direction connection to the whiskey in these bottles,” noted Wolfe. “It makes this particular release all the more special.”
I've long waxed poetic that we're currently living through the next rye renaissance. At the forefront of this revival are magnanimous players like the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation, Greg Roth of Penn State, and Stoll & Wolfe Distillery. I've seen a number of other Pennsylvania distillers also leaning in on Rosen rye. So what does that mean for whiskey drinkers today? Is this grain the secret ingredient to great whiskey? I tasted through a generous sample provided to me with no strings attached by Stolle & Wolfe in order to find out.
Company on Label: Stoll & Wolfe
Whiskey Type: Straight rye whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed, other than the 65% Rosen rye proportion
Proof: 106.5°
Age: 4 years
Further Identification: This non-chill filtered rye, limited to just 220 bottles, was first released in November of 2024 at an MSRP of $120
Nose: Impressive wood integration presents itself right from the get-go; this noses well over 4 years somehow. Subtle earthy clay transports me back to the 90s, while bright white dinner table linen tones are present all throughout. Deep inhales produce charcoal, fire brick, summer fields, and melted butter. Gingersnaps and lemon drop cream soda aromas develop with some time in the glass. After a sip, the whiskey gets a bit shy, but I'm still able to turn over bread dough, grapefruit, and steamed milk with some effort. The empty glass smells of toffee, burlap, and tin coffee cans full of old nuts and bolts destined to live on in perpetuity, forever projectless.
Palate: On first sip, I find delicate German riesling sweetness, thin anisette, and an array of floral tones. Pear and grenache blanc swirl in the gossamer linger. Another sip layers in plum, peach cobbler, and pizza crust cornmeal. I'm digging this profile, which handily drinks under proof. It's quite different than anything else being made today, which I think is a great thing here. The nod back to some of the old pre-prohibition Monongahela style ryes is evident, as I find this really nice seesaw of aroma that undulates back and forth between lemon and dill over salmon and the salty air of a nearby sea. A large sip and swish reveals grapefruit, creamy risotto, and a side of sourdough. The finish is tingly and long, with notable mint and green tea up in the gums. My last sip is the most potent of them all, yielding to a fast-moving river carrying lemon curd, pear liqueur, wintergreen, and oolong tea. The finish continues to build and build in intensity with subsequent sips, so do yourself a favor and pour a decent ounce and a half of this neat if that fits your drinking personality. Much like 1917-1928 Sam Thompson pure rye took me to the banks of the Kenai River in Alaska, this pour has my mind's eye dreaming of my upcoming summer trip to that fly fishing mecca. It's definitely a pour that will linger on your mind.
TL;DR: Leads subtle but finishes strong with new-to-market flavors from a return-to-market rye grain
Rating: 4/5
Stolle & Wolfe is producing some spectacular whiskey, and why not? They've got the foundation of knowledge from one of the world's best distillers of all time, the late Dick Stoll. Erik Wolfe is continuing on with their same mission, with help from incredibly talented whiskey historians like Laura Fields looking to resurrect defunct grains. Whether these efforts will truly bring us back to a time when rye whiskey was king remains to be seen. Given my parallel experience with one exquisite example of pre-prohibition Monongahela rye whiskey, I'd say they're on the right track.
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