Black cherry | Plum | Toasted oak | Dill | Sage

Fig | Rye spice | Honeycomb | Leather | Raisin

Thick oak | Warm cinnamon | Baking spices | Dark brown sugar | Rye spice

Buzzard’s Roost was created and started by Judy Hollis Jones and Jason Brauner, the latter being the founder of the influential Bourbons Bistro in Louisville, Kentucky. In June 2025, the company launched Ambuzzadors fan club that grants members access to club-only releases. According to the company, “Twice a year, Buzzard’s Roost invites its Ambuzzadors to its distillery and tasting room on Whiskey Row for barrel picks. The group’s selection is then bottled, and Ambuzzadors get ‘first dibs’ on bottles.” Ambuzzador’s Select Single Barrel Rye is their first club release, and like all Buzzard’s Roost whiskeys, it is double oaked.

Indiana rye of the 95% rye, 5% malted barley variety often gets glossed over. But like Indiana bourbon, there can be some amazing barrels to be had. That is the case with Buzzard’s Roost 2025 Ambuzzador’s Select Single Barrel Rye. It’s not necessarily bringing anything new flavor-wise to the sip, but it’s all about delivery, balance, and fullness.

This isn’t a sip that you have to think about and try to figure out. One sip and you’re sold due to its fullness of flavor. Surprisingly, it’s not even the rye’s proof that does the heavy lifting. This isn’t a big, bold rye, that’s a spice bomb. It’s well tempered and nicely balanced. It features a great, thick mouthfeel, and its flavors, especially its oak and cinnamon, have a wonderful warmth to them. I also expect that being double oaked helped get this whiskey to where it’s at. This isn’t a whiskey dominated by oak, but one where the secondary barrel finish likely enhanced an already great base barrel.