Julie Macklowe launched her eponymous whiskey brand back in 2019 as a top shelf spin on American single malt. “I always loved scotch single malt but there was nothing high end luxury that was American made,” she tells Forbes. “So that was my original inspiration.” Now she’s hoping to raise the bar for rye with the launch of The Macklowe Silver Edition. The non-age-stated Kentucky straight rye is set to retail for $99 a bottle. We scored an exclusive taste of the liquid and can confirm that it’s unlike any other rye on shelves today.
Its distinctive profile is largely owed to a first-of-its-kind finish in ex-American single malt barrels. After a minimum of four years worth of maturation in new charred American oak, the whiskey was transferred to casks which formerly held Macklowe’s other releases. The secondary aging lends the rye a honeyed softness that might feel familiar to fans of Highland scotch. And the connection to that particular part of the world is hardly a coincidence, either. To help her craft her liquids, Macklowe has brought in master blender Brendan McCarron. The gifted Scotsman has worked at single malt distilleries no less prominent than Deanston, Ledaig and Bunnahabhain.
Nevertheless, Silver Edition remains a rye drinker’s rye at its core. Earthy, menthol notes are apparent in the nose and stay the course across the palate. The whiskey’s slow and steady finish is brimming with the spice of dill and fresh cracked peppercorn. It’s hardly a surprise that the namesake grain is the star of the show, considering that Macklowe opted for mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. The shocker is how the soft, almost-fruity elements of the barley are amplified with the implementation of that single malt finish. It veers rich and robust where lesser ryes can stray dry and astringent.
“It was a great idea that I came up with in the shower,” Macklowe recalls of the rye’s unique finish. “I ran it by Brendan McCarron and he loved it. Our view is that everything should tie back to our core product.”
It also arrives in the market at an auspicious time for high end rye. A style of spirit that not long ago collected dust on shelves has undergone a complete transformation over the past decade. Popular brands like WhistlePig and Michter’s were the first to pave the way for ultra premium bottlings. But this month marks a new era for the “rye-naissance” as Beyoncé promises to make the drink even more mainstream with the introduction of her own SirDavis rye.
Just like Silver Edition, Beyoncé’s offering is one that’s engineered to resonate with scotch fans. SirDavis is finished in sherry barrels and uses an unusually high percentage of malted barley in its mashbill.
“I’d like to think that Beyoncé was inspired by my product,” says Macklowe. “It’s great to see someone else break the mold and it will shine a huge spotlight on this market. It also creates a huge opportunity for new drinkers to explore different luxury items. We’re creating a new taste profile for this category. A different product that didn’t exist before.”
You can find The Macklowe Silver Edition rye at your local liquor store starting later this month. Or you can be one of the first to try it at Jean-Georges in New York. The acclaimed chef who helms multiple Michelin-star kitchens across the globe is close personal friends with Macklowe and secured his own limited edition of 60 bottles for his namesake restaurant.
Julie Macklowe, founder of The Macklowe, with chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten