American

Whiskey Review: Kooper Family Rye

We review Kooper Family Rye, a hip newcomer to the Texas whiskey landscape.

OVERALL RATING

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Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Medium-gold with a slight orange cast, with thin, widely-spaced legs.
Nose:
Big, overpowering paint and varnish aromas in the glass at first. Once the acetone-like notes dissipate, herbaceous notes like dried dill and mint emerge alongside warm grain and citrus peel.
Palate:
Dill carries over into the entry of the palate, as well as a low-key apple and pear fruitiness. That’s quickly dominated by strong rye spice: clove, allspice, star anise, and pepper. Finish: Quite spicy, medium in length with a syrupy mouthfeel. At the very finish there’s a curious slight numbing sensation, almost like Szechuan pepper. Conclusion After my initial smell of Kooper Family Rye, I wasn’t expecting a lot, but the flavor is much more appealing than the aroma. While there’s not a lot of maturation character, this spirit manages to showcase all those great herbaceous, fruity, and spicy qualities of rye at the same time. Overall, it’s pleasurable and nuanced without being heavy, and at a little over $40 a bottle for a 750, it’s fairly priced. If you can get your hands on it, it’s worth trying. Final Score: 88/100
Finish:
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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