Forward/Slash Thornhurst Straight Rye Whiskey Blend

Forward/Slash Thornhurst Straight Rye Whiskey Blend is the Winter Park house's first straight rye, a 795-bottle tribute named for two regulars whose last names became Thornhurst. It marries 41% Journeyman from Three Oaks (organic 60% rye and 40% wheat), 30% Dad's Hat Pennsylvania rye, 22% Breuckelen 100% New York rye, and 7% Manifest Distilling from Jacksonville, bottled at 100 proof. Wheat in two of those mashbills is why this rye drinks juicier and creamier than a Kentucky high-rye. Easy to keep on the bar for weeknight sipping.

Creamy custard and cantaloupe open, with baked raisin bread and cookie-dough sweetness behind them. The sip turns to sweet pepper and herbs, then a long, creamy finish that stays fruitier than spicy, with soft charred oak.