Most sourced whiskey travels a long way before it reaches the bottle. Crane Cove Rye takes a rather different route.
Brucato Spirits is a small, independent spirits company based in San Francisco’s Mission District, best known for its California-inspired amaro. With Crane Cove Rye Whiskey, part of the 2026 Distillery Series, the company ventured into whiskey while keeping its sourcing remarkably close to home. Rather than bringing in barrels from Indiana or Kentucky, Brucato sourced this whiskey from Anchor Distilling in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood. In other words, this may be a sourced whiskey, but it is very much a San Francisco whiskey.
There is another detail that makes Crane Cove Rye stand apart: the mashbill is 100% malted rye. The grain, sourced from Briess Malting in Wisconsin and grown in the upper Midwest, underwent a two-day upward step fermentation using Anchor Brewing’s ale yeast. The fermentation produced considerable foam and a wort around 9% ABV. Anchor also left the spent grain with the liquid during distillation rather than separating the two beforehand.
The resulting distillate went through double copper pot distillation on a 1,500-liter wash still and a 700-liter spirit still fitted with an agitator. On January 13, 2017, the distillate entered two 53-gallon Cooper’s Reserve barrels at 123.9 proof. Those barrels were eventually dumped in the second half of June 2026, giving the whiskey nine years and five months of maturation.
The barrels themselves were no ordinary containers. Made by Independent Stave Company from fine-grain American white oak, they were open-air seasoned for 24 months, given a #3 char over an oak scrap fire, and subjected to a heavy toast. The Cooper’s Reserve barrels cost roughly four times as much as a standard distillery barrel. After the two barrels were blended, the whiskey came out at its natural harvest proof of 129.
For a small San Francisco spirits company, there is plenty here to set Crane Cove Rye apart from the usual sourced-whiskey story: local distillation, 100% malted rye, ale yeast fermentation, copper pot distillation, nearly a decade in Cooper’s Reserve barrels, and a final proof of 129.
Is this unusual San Francisco rye whiskey worthy of attention beyond the confines of Bay Area locals? Let’s find out.
Brucato Spirits Crane Cove Rye 9 Years Old Review
The nose starts with plenty of juicy, ripe fruit, led by freshly sliced cantaloupe and white grape juice. As the fruit settles, honey graham crackers bring a sweet, bready aroma alongside milk chocolate. For those encountering malted rye for the first time, it is worth comparing it with the much more common unmalted rye whiskey that remains the industry standard. The malting process tends to yield rye whiskey that is soft, fruity, and floral, and all three qualities are readily apparent on the nose.
The palate starts with less-sweet wild blackberries before moving into pine needles. The mid-palate turns spicy with clove, followed by a familiar dill note and a very dense mouthfeel. The finish moves toward a more traditional rye profile, with white pepper joining stewed green apple, followed by another push of clove and a final touch of cocoa powder.
Overall, this is a beautiful example of malted rye whiskey. I tend to gravitate toward rye whiskey in general, in large part because of the diversity the category offers, and malted rye remains an underrepresented style within the category. This is the longest-aged malted rye I have experienced, and I am very pleased with the result. Even after nine years in new charred oak barrels, the fruity qualities of the malted rye grain remain clearly present.
110 proof.
B+ / $99
Brucato Spirits Crane Cove Rye 9 Years Old
USD99
