Few Spirits Immortal Rye with Eight Immortals Tea 750ML

FEW Spirits Immortal Rye with Eight Immortals Tea 750ML is a 93-proof (46.5% ABV) straight rye whiskey brought to bottling proof using cold-extracted 8 Immortals Oolong tea instead of water. The base straight rye behind this expression earned a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and the oolong-proofing technique results in a flavor profile unlike anything else in the American rye category.

Quick Facts: ABV: 46.5%  |  Origin: Evanston, Illinois, USA  |  Straight Rye Whiskey  |  Distillery: FEW Spirits

Production & Heritage

FEW Spirits operates as a grain-to-glass distillery in Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb that was historically the birthplace of the American temperance movement. The Immortal Rye starts with a mashbill of 70% rye, 20% corn, and 10% malted barley, distilled and aged on-site as a straight rye whiskey. What makes this expression singular is the proofing step: rather than adding purified water to bring the whiskey from cask strength down to 46.5% ABV, the distillery uses a cold extraction of 8 Immortals Oolong tea — a prized Chinese oolong known for its complex floral and fruity character — weaving tea compounds directly into the spirit's DNA.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe peach and honey emerge first, followed by delicate floral and herbal touches from the oolong infusion. Underneath, baking spices and a hint of citrus add complexity without masking the grain character.

Taste: The entry is bright with citrus and stone fruit, quickly layering into mid-palate notes of brown sugar, dark chocolate, and exotic dragon fruit. A pronounced rye spice — white pepper, ginger, and a backbone of black pepper — builds steadily through the mid-palate, balanced by the tea's natural sweetness and herbal depth.

Finish: Medium-long and earthy, with lingering baking spice and a grassy, slightly tannic quality reminiscent of a well-brewed oolong. The rye grain reasserts itself at the very end, leaving a dry, peppery warmth.

How to Drink Immortal Rye

Neat or with a single ice cube is the best way to appreciate how the oolong proofing reshapes the rye's character; a few drops of water can further open up the peach and floral notes. Beyond sipping, the tea-forward profile makes it a versatile cocktail ingredient:

• Improved Whiskey Cocktail: The oolong's herbal complexity pairs naturally with maraschino liqueur and bitters, adding depth a standard rye cannot.
• Rye Old Fashioned: Brown sugar and spice notes already present in the whiskey mirror the drink's classic framework, while the tea adds an unexpected floral lift.
• Vieux Carré: The earthy finish and dark chocolate mid-palate stand up to sweet vermouth and Bénédictine without disappearing.

Best For

• Gifting a whiskey enthusiast who already has the classics and wants something genuinely different
• Tea lovers curious about how oolong translates into a spirit
• Building a home bar focused on craft and small-batch American whiskey
• Hosting a tasting flight that explores unconventional proofing and finishing techniques

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Immortal Rye taste like? Immortal Rye leads with ripe peach, honey, and dragon fruit before transitioning to brown sugar, black pepper, and dark chocolate. The cold-extracted oolong tea adds an herbal, slightly earthy quality that distinguishes it from conventional rye whiskeys.

How does Immortal Rye compare to FEW Cold Cut Bourbon? Both expressions use a cold-extracted beverage in place of water during proofing, but Cold Cut Bourbon substitutes cold brew coffee for a roasted, bittersweet profile, while Immortal Rye uses 8 Immortals Oolong tea for a more floral, fruity, and herbaceous character. The base spirits also differ — Immortal Rye's 70% rye mashbill delivers more grain spice than Cold Cut's bourbon mash.

Is Immortal Rye good for sipping neat? Yes — at 46.5% ABV it carries enough proof to deliver full flavor without excessive heat, and the tea proofing adds layers of complexity that reward slow, focused sipping.

Where is Immortal Rye made? Immortal Rye is distilled and bottled at FEW Spirits in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb directly north of Chicago. The distillery operates as a grain-to-glass facility, handling every step from mashing through bottling on-site.

What foods pair well with Immortal Rye? Peking duck benefits from the whiskey's stone fruit sweetness and herbal undertones. Dark chocolate truffles echo the mid-palate cocoa notes. Aged Gouda mirrors the brown sugar richness. Grilled peaches with honey amplify the spirit's dominant fruit character. Spiced pork belly matches the rye's black pepper backbone.

What sizes does Immortal Rye come in? Immortal Rye is available in the standard 750ml bottle.

Is Immortal Rye worth the price? Immortal Rye positions as a premium craft rye within FEW Spirits' lineup, carrying a higher price point than mass-produced ryes due to its grain-to-glass production and the labor-intensive oolong proofing process. For drinkers seeking a genuinely novel rye experience rather than an incremental variation on the category, the value proposition is strong.

Why Immortal Rye?

The defining differentiator is the proofing method: replacing water with cold-extracted 8 Immortals Oolong tea is not a marketing flourish but a fundamental change to the whiskey's composition, introducing tea polyphenols, floral aromatics, and a subtle tannic structure that no barrel finish can replicate. The base rye's Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition confirms that the underlying spirit is exceptional on its own merits, not dependent on the tea to compensate for shortcomings. FEW Spirits' grain-to-glass control in Evanston means mashbill, fermentation, distillation, aging, and proofing all happen under one roof — a level of vertical integration that most larger distilleries do not practice. For anyone who thinks American rye has been fully explored, Immortal Rye is a direct and compelling counterargument.