Old Potrero 18th Century Style Rye Spirit is one of those bottles that demands you pay attention. Produced by Anchor Distilling — now Hotaling & Co. — in San Francisco, this is a rye whiskey that takes its name seriously. The "18th Century Style" label isn't marketing fluff; it refers to the way rye was made before column stills and charred oak became the American standard. We're talking pot-distilled, 100% rye malt, aged in uncharred oak barrels. That's a radically different approach to what most people think of when they hear "rye whiskey," and at 51.2% ABV, it's got the muscle to back up its ambitions.
I should be upfront: this doesn't technically qualify as "rye whiskey" under current US regulations. The use of uncharred new oak puts it outside the legal definition, which is why it's labelled a "rye spirit" rather than a straight rye. That's not a flaw — it's a deliberate choice, and one that makes this bottle genuinely interesting in a market drowning in 95/5 MGP-sourced ryes that all taste like they came off the same conveyor belt. Old Potrero is its own thing entirely.
Tasting Notes
I won't pretend to give you a blow-by-blow breakdown of nose, palate, and finish here — this is a spirit that rewards sitting with over multiple sessions, and I'd rather you come to it without a checklist. What I will say is this: expect the rye grain character to be front and centre in a way that charred barrels usually temper. The uncharred oak contributes a different kind of wood influence — think lighter, more wine-like, with less of that classic caramel-vanilla backbone. The pot still production adds weight and texture that column-distilled ryes simply can't match. At 51.2%, it carries serious presence without being aggressive. There's a rawness to it that feels intentional and honest.
The Verdict
At £77.75, Old Potrero 18th Century Style sits in that middle ground where you're paying for craft and concept rather than age or brand prestige. There's no age statement, so you're trusting the distiller's palate over a number on the label — and in this case, that trust is well placed. This is a spirit with genuine character and a clear point of view about what rye can be when you strip away modern conventions. It's educational in the best sense: every sip teaches you something about what the grain itself brings to the table when the barrel isn't doing the heavy lifting. I'm giving it an 8.1 out of 10. It's not trying to be the crowd-pleaser, and that's exactly why it works. If you're curious about American whiskey history or you're simply tired of the same flavour profile showing up in every new release, this bottle belongs on your shelf.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn at room temperature and give it ten minutes to open up. The pot still character and uncharred oak influence reveal themselves slowly, and water can flatten some of the more interesting grain-forward notes. If you're in a cocktail mood, try it in a Manhattan with a sweet vermouth that has some backbone — Carpano Antica works brilliantly here. The rye spice and that unusual wood character play beautifully against the vermouth's bitterness. Skip the Old Fashioned with this one; the lack of charred-oak sweetness means it won't balance the same way a bourbon-barrel-aged rye would. This is a sipper first, a Manhattan base second, and an education in American whiskey history throughout.
