Pairing Woody Creek Rye With Architects of the West Kingdom

The Whiskey: Woody Creek Rye

I was recently introduced to Woody Creek Distillery by Bill Varnell, the founder of Whiskey Network. Operating out of Basalt, Colorado, Woody Creek is a craft distillery that’s beginning to make a name for itself in the world of whiskey. Today’s paired whiskey is their four year rye. Made with a straightforward mash bill of 100% Elbon Rye, and Rocky Mountain water, the ingredients are there for a good pour.

On the nose, I’m initially struck by a wave of sweetness I wouldn’t expect from a 100% rye pour. There’s a rye spice pop there, to be sure, but it’s not the spice-heavy nose I was expecting. There’s an initial note of vanilla, supported by a creamy note that makes me think of cream corn. I also get some more herbal notes associated with a rye nose – mint, and something that’s almost flowery? Finally, as I continue to search, a hint of bubblegum makes its presence known. Quite an interesting nose all around. 

On the palate, many of the notes found on the nose continue to flow. An initial impression of rye spice supported by a foundation of vanilla is really pleasant. The peppery pop I expected on the nose is found here, though not in an overwhelming way. There’s mint and bubblegum together as well, which combined makes me think of spearmint gum. On my follow-up sips I begin to find something akin to saltwater taffy. Quite interesting. 

The finish rolls longer than expected and is primarily the spearmint gum I described on the palate. It continues on for a good long while and is supported by rye and a mellow vanilla sweetness. 

The Game: Architects of the West Kingdom

Architects of the West Kingdom is the first game in the West Kingdom series by Shem Phillips. Phillips is a prolific game designer and has been credited with some true classics over the last 10 years, including Raider of the North Sea and Paladins of the West Kingdom. His designs are diverse and provide satisfying gaming experiences but are usually accessible. Such is the case with Architects of the West Kingdom. 

In Architects, players take on the role of architects working for the King in medieval France. The King has tasked you with building up the kingdom with attractive and useful structures, but the key task is building up the cathedral. It’s not always the case, but often the player who contributes the most to the cathedral wins the game. 

There are several systems in place in Architects that make it engaging. First, its core mechanic is worker placement, with some twists. Instead of spaces being blocked when a worker is placed there, most spaces remain open. Players can continue to go to the same spot, which strengthens the action. However, the more workers a player puts on one actions, the more tempting it is for other players to target those workers through the capture action. The capture action lets a player take all the workers of a color from an action and hold them hostage, to be released later. In this way, the workers are restricted not by the game rules involving placement but by the threat of other players. 

There’s also a morality system in place that rewards certain actions and punishes others. For example, working on the cathedral increases morality, while robbing the tax stand for quick cash reduces your morality. An interesting tension seen throughout the game is that the best actions are often seen as immoral, and being too immoral leads to losing cash and points at the end of the game.

Because of the design decision to make Architects a more open style of worker placement, it’s easier for new players to engage with. Often, worker placement games can be quite punishing with blocking and can lead to blowouts, which feel bad. Architects is not like that, while still providing the satisfying experience of obtaining resources and building up an engine of sorts. I like to pull this one out for friends newer to gaming and it’s always a hit.