Seared mint | Burnt caramel | Maple sugar candy | Aged oak | Earthy

Butterscotch | Honey | Seasoned oak | Stewed peaches | Black peppercorn

Rye spice | Cinnamon bark | Cola | Light leather | Raisin | Charred oak | Seared mint | Lingering spice & mild oak dryness

Bushwood Spirits is a golf-centric spirits company created by Brad Carpenter. An injury 13 years ago prevented him from playing golf, and the idea for Bushwood Spirits sprang to life while he was recovering. The company was formed in 2016 and sold its first bottle in October 2021. Bushwood Spirits bottles are adorned with a heavy metal golf ball topper and other golf-related iconography on their labels.

Despite featuring a “barely legal” rye mashbill of 51% rye, 45% corn, 4% malted barley, Bushwood Stillwater Perennial Cask Strength 9 Year Rye is a true rye at its core. Seared mint, burnt caramel, maple candy, and aged oak start the rye with an immediate presence. Likewise, the palate is skewed sweet thanks to butterscotch, honey, and stewed peaches. The finish is especially bold with rye spice upfront, followed by cinnamon bark, cola, leather, raisin, and seared mint. Lingering spice with a touch of oak dryness lingers long after the sip is gone.

Oftentimes, “barely legal” ryes can taste just as much like a bourbon as a rye. Producers like to go with the “best of both worlds” mentality, offering sweet and spice in near equal measure. But that direction is futile thanks to Bushwood Stillwater Perennial Cask Strength 9 Year Rye’s overall rye spice boldness, and other rye flavors that take command of the entire sip. While still sweet, classic rye flavors dominate the sip and, combined with its proof and age, come together in a way that rye lovers will find immensely enjoyable.

The rye in review is bottle #102 of 118 from barrel no. 9971.