Classification: Straight Rye
Company: BC Merchants
Distillery: MGP
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 101
Age: 2 Years
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Color: Light Honey
MSRP: $40 (2020)
Nose: Apples | Summer fruit | Light & approachable
Palate: Caramel | Maple sugar candy | Rye spice | Sweet with a spicy pop
Finish: Touch of oak | Caramel | Sticky | Lingering
Further Rye is named in honor of “Further,” a 1939 school bus that was owned by novelist Ken Kesey, author of best selling novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The bus is symbolic of a time of change, and portions of sales from Further Bourbon and Rye are being used to restore the bus. Inside the bottle is 2 year old MGP rye, a common source for a variety of brands, however the particular barrels used or simply the overall blend represents some of the best young MGP rye I’ve had.
Classification: Rye
Company: Catoctin Creek Distilling Company
Distillery: Catoctin Creek Distilling Company
Release Date: 2020
Proof: 92
Age: NAS
Mashbill: 100% Rye
Color: Rust
MSRP: $53 (2020)
Nose: Sugar Cookie | Brown sugar | Pine | Light grain | Light intensity but clean delivery
Palate: Herbal | Powdered cocoa | Cedar | Light Oak | Thin mouthfeel but silky smooth
Finish: Pine | Honey | Lemon | Young oak | Short to medium length
Founded in 2009, Catoctin Creek Distillery has been around a lot longer than most realize. For the “Distiller’s Edition” of their Roundstone Rye, the company selects 10% of their aging barrels they feel offer an interesting flavor profile and release them as a single barrel product at 12 proof points higher than their standard release. This particular single barrel tastes a bit on the young side, especially for being at least 4 years old. It’s a clean tasting distillate that drinks extremely easily, but lacks necessary complexity.
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: New Riff Distilling
Distillery: New Riff Distilling
Release Date: Spring 2020
Proof: 100
Age: NAS (4 Years)
Mashbill: 65% Corn, 30% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Color: Copper
MSRP: $50 (2020)
Nose: Vanilla | Light oak | Smoked barley | Campfire | Smoky & sweet
Palate: Sweet vanilla | Straw | Light smoked wood chips | Green peppercorn | Touch of brown sugar
Finish: Charred Oak | Light vanilla | Light smoke | Earthy with lingering spice
For this limited release, New Riff used their traditional bourbon mashbill and a backset collected from a distillation of peat-smoked malted barley. The end result is a bourbon that tastes like it was barrel-aged in a used scotch barrel like High West Campfire was. It noses like a scotch yet has a distinctly bourbon palate. It’s great to see New Riff experimenting and innovating on what it means to be a bourbon.
Classification: Blend of Straight Bourbons
Company: Coppercraft Distillery
Distillery: Sourced (from undisclosed distillery[ies])
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 100
Age: NAS (Blend of 4+ and 11+ year old bourbons per company website)
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Color: Warm Amber
MSRP: $45 (2020)
Nose: Leather | Oak | Raisin | Cigar box | Dry & mellow
Palate: Caramel | Seasoned oak | Black pepper | Tobacco | Full-flavored but light in its intensity
Finish: Spicy pop | Brown sugar | Vanilla | Dry oak | Spice fades to sweeter notes
Coppercraft’s Blend of Straight Bourbons delivers an approachable, full-flavored experience that the company says is ideal for cocktails. The spicy pop that leads the finish will certainly give cocktails structure, however given the price point this might be a harder sell, especially given the competition coming out of the bluegrass state. The bottle design will certainly grab your attention, but in the end I could see myself sipping this neat versus using it in cocktails.
Classification: Straight Bourbon Finished in French Oak Casks
Company: Lux Row Distillers
Distillery: Sourced (From undisclosed distillery[ies])
Release Date: February 2020
Proof: 96
Age: NAS
Mashbill: Blend of a wheated and a rye mashbill
Color: Golden Straw
MSRP: $45 (2020)
Nose: White grape | | Wine cellar | Oats | Fresh oak | Musty & weird, but not in a bad way | Very unique
Palate: White grape | Pear | Wheat grain | Fresh oak | Light to medium body
Finish: Oak | Light malt | Agave | Mild spice on the aftertaste
This is part of the re-launch of Daviess County Bourbons by Lux Row Distillers in February, 2020. When I read that this bourbon was finished in French Oak cask for six months, I expected a heavy double barrel profile. Instead the opposite is true. It’s surprisingly delicate and its oak notes, which are plentiful, somehow aren't overpowering. In fact they are nicely layered and the French Oak finish puts a fun flavor spin on them. This is a very unique tasting finished bourbon that drinks more like a Scotch.
Classification: Straight Bourbon finished in Prisoner French Oak Red Wine Barrels
Company: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Distillery: Sourced (From an undisclosed distillery in Tennessee)
Release Date: January 2019
Proof: 100
Age: 9 Years
Mashbill: 84% Corn, 8% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
Color: Ruby
MSRP: $125 (2020)
Nose: Baking spice | Light strawberry | New oak | Bundt cake | Dark fruits | Notably influence from wine barrels
Palate: Dominant dark red fruits | Fruit pie | Light oak | Vanilla
Finish: Oak | Leather | Muted red fruits | Lingering dry oak | Slightly tannic
Bourbon finished in wine barrels is always a dicey proposition as the end result is either a love it or hate it product. The Prisoner is no exception. The wine barrel imparts deep red fruits on the sip and influences it in ways that you can only get out of a barrel-finished product. The asking price is pushing its limit, however if you’re a fan of wine finished bourbons, The Prisoner is worth seeking out.
Classification: Bourbon
Company: D. Canale & Co.
Distillery: MGP
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 100
Age: NAS (4 years old per company website)
Mashbill: 52% Corn, 44% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Color: Medium Amber
MSRP: $38 (2020)
Nose: Rye spice | Dark fruit | Leather | Savory
Palate: Cherries | Seasoned oak | Tobacco | Rye spice | Nice balance
Finish: Dark fruit | Graham cracker | Caramel | Lingering spice
According to the company, “Old Dominick Huling Station Bourbon is an homage to the whiskeys of 1866 Memphis, bottled at 100 proof and made from a high-rye mash bill reminiscent of the spirits offered by Domenico Canale.” Labeled as “bourbon” (vs. straight bourbon), it’s possible the company plans to blend its own aged distillate with the now sourced bourbon as time progresses. In the meantime, what’s in the beautifully designed bottle is a quality representation of 4 year old MGP whiskey.
Classification: Rye
Company: Breuckelen Distilling Company
Distillery: Breuckelen Distilling Company
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 90
Age: 2 Years, 8 Days
Mashbill: 90% Rye, 10% Corn
Color: Dark Gold
MSRP: $45 (2020)
Nose: Fruit Stripe Bubble Gum | Strange but totally awesome
Palate: Tropical fruit | Sugar | Faint cinnamon | Mild oak | Yummy
Finish: Cinnamon | Oak | Ramp up in heat | Fruit Stripe Bubble Gum aftertaste
What is going on here? This whiskey is so strange but also oddly compelling. Why does it smell and taste like Fruit Stripe Bubble Gum? More than anything this whiskey will take you down a sugar-filled nostalgic trip if you’re an adult of a certain age who grew up with the gum. This whiskey won’t be for everyone, but if this sounds appealing to you, buy it now. The company continually ages their distillate so its flavor profile may change with additional aging. For me, I’ll be heading back to my room with my bottle and lounging in my beanbag chair listening to Debbie Gibson. Don’t judge.
Classification: Straight Rye
Company: New Riff Distilling
Distillery: New Riff Distilling
Release Date: Spring 2020
Proof: 100
Age: NAS (4 Years)
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Rye
Color: Light Copper
MSRP: $50 (2020)
Nose: Wet oak | Fresh grass | Soaked rye kernels | Earthy & complex
Palate: Smoked cherries | Cherry wood | Chocolate cake | Burnt sugars
Finish: Oak | Malt | Light peppercorn spice | Hint of smoke | Short
For this limited release, New Riff used their traditional rye mashbill and a backset collected from a distillation of peat-smoked malted barley. The end result is nuanced and unique. The nose and palate bring complex flavors to the sip that you normally don’t find in too many ryes. The finish is good but falls short comparatively, which holds back in allowing the rye to truly shine. This one will challenge many rye drinkers who get a chance to try it.
Classification: Straight Bourbon Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks
Company: Lux Row Distillers
Distillery: Sourced (From undisclosed distillery[ies])
Release Date: February 2020
Proof: 96
Age: NAS
Mashbill: Undisclosed (Blend of wheated and ryed bourbon mashbills)
Color: Amber
MSRP: $45 (2020)
Nose: Creme brulee | Raisin | Dark fruit | Candy apples | Light & inviting
Palate: Caramel | Vanilla | Burnt brown sugar | Cracker Jacks | Rich, velvety mouthfeel
Finish: Sweet rush | Cane sugar | Dark fruit | Sweet wine | Light spice
Part of the re-launch of Daviess County Bourbons by Lux Row Distillers in February, 2020, the Cabernet Sauvignon Finished Bourbon is one of three unique limited edition variants with only 4,000 bottles of each released. In this case, the base blend of wheated and ryed mashbills and 6 month finishing really works well, softening and sweetening the bourbon and yielding a rich, velvety mouthfeel. A dessert whiskey in every sense, this is definitely one to pick up if you happen to come across it.
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Starlight Distillery
Distillery: Starlight Distillery
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 92
Age: 4 Years
Mashbill: Blend of 60% Corn, 20% Rye, 20% Malted Barley & 51% Corn, 20% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, 9% Wheat
Color: Dark Copper
MSRP: $35 (2020)
Nose: Caramel | Vanilla | Oak | Pear | Traditional bourbon aroma
Palate: Oak | Pepper | Trail mix | Banana | Thin and quite oaky
Finish: Oak | Pepper | Dry
If you revel in traditional bourbon flavor profiles, this is for you. Caramel and vanilla are the stars of the show, with a hardcore influx of oak and pepper notes to back it up. It features a surprising amount of oak and color for a 4 year old bourbon aged in 53 gallon barrels. This is probably the result of it being aged in “barrels from three different cooperage companies and four different barrel styles.” Its 3 and 4 grain blended mashbills add some much needed dimension to the palate, but I expected more from such a mingling. For an Indiana bourbon, it drinks more like a classic Kentucky one.
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Distillery: Sourced (From an undisclosed distillery[ies] in Kentucky)
Release Date: December 2019
Proof: 122.2
Age: Blend of 10, 12, and 14 Year Straight Bourbons
Mashbill: 44% 10 Year: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley; 39% 12 Year: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley; 17% 14 Year: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Color: Bronze
MSRP: $130 (2020)
Nose: Aged oak | Brown sugar | Dash of cinnamon | Light butterscotch | Slight ethanol | Classic bourbon notes
Palate: Dry oak | Candied sugar | Light rye grain | Vanilla
Finish: Leather | Cinnamon | Sweet vanilla | Dry oak | Lingering sweet & heat
A blend of double digit aged Kentucky bourbons over 120 proof is a rarity nowadays. Discovery Series #2 doesn’t disappoint for those who like higher aged, higher proof bourbons. The age shows through with oak being a dominant trait. However, it’s nicely balanced by more subtle classic sweeter flavors which allow the sip to produce a more distinguished well-rounded flavor profile.
Classification: Straight Rye
Company: Breuckelen Distilling Company
Distillery: Breuckelen Distilling Company
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 100
Age: 6 Years
Mashbill: 100% Rye
Color: Copper
MSRP: $65 (2020)
Nose: Smoky | Malty | Rye spice | Chocolate | Unique & surprising
Palate: Chocolate | Rye | Malty | Clove | Creamy mouthfeel
Finish: Light rye spice | Cocoa | Short but pleasant
Milling, distilling, aging, and bottling whiskeys in Brooklyn, NY since 2010, Bonded Rye is the oldest whiskey released by the distillery. The change to 6 years old must be recent, as a 6 year sticker rests over the original 4 year imprinting. The rye is anything but familiar, with a 100% rye mashbill that I could have mistaken for a malt whiskey had I not known what I was drinking. It is definitely a whiskey for those wanting something less familiar, with the only fault being the unusually short finish.
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company and an Undisclosed KY Distillery
Release Date: December 2019
Proof: 98.9
Age: Blend of 2 Year 10 Month, 3 Year, and 12 Year old straight bourbons
Mashbill: 40% 12 Year KY Bourbon: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley; 18% 3 Year Bardstown Bourbon Co: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley; 42% 2 Year 10 Months Bardstown Bourbon Co: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Color: Light Yellow Gold
MSRP: $60 (2020)
Nose: Oak | Hay | Light vanilla | Light baking spice | Light summer fruits | Lacks complexity
Palate: Sweet vanilla | Yellow cake | Oak | Light bubble gum
Finish: Oak | Light leather | Light rye spice | Short & crisp
Bardstown Bourbon Company is transparent in disclosing the blend of mashbills for their bourbons, which is appreciated. With so much of the blend being 12 year old bourbon, I expected a more complex sip. Instead, I was greeted with a light and subtly sweet flavor profile that is heavily influenced by the younger Bardstown distillate. While it doesn’t have an overly youthful flavor profile, the sip certainly left me longing for a lot more, especially for an almost 100 proof bourbon.
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: B.R. Distilling Company
Distillery: Sourced (from an undisclosed distillery[ies] in Kentucky)
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 93
Age: 3-4 Years
Mashbill: 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley
Color: Light Gold
MSRP: $30 (2020)
Nose: Caramel | Vanilla | Maple | Traditional bourbon aroma
Palate: Warm cinnamon | Vanilla | Nutmeg | Thick oily mouthfeel
Finish: Spice | Rich vanilla | Oak | Orange | Slightly dry
Largely focusing on traditional bourbon notes across its flavor profile, its thick oily mouthfeel is the star of the show. Considering it's only 3-4 years old, this is even more surprising. Distilled in Kentucky but aged in Memphis, Tennessee and then combined in 20 barrel batches, these small batches are notable for their lack of graininess typically found in young bourbon. Although the bourbon is light on complexity, which is the only thing that gives away the bourbon’s age, its overall drinkability ends the bourbon on a high note.
Classification: Straight Rye
Company: Four Gate Whiskey Company
Distillery: Undisclosed distillery in Indiana
Release Date: June 2020 (Available in Kentucky, Tennessee, and online via Seelbach’s)
Proof: 113.2
Age: 7 Years
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Color: Bright Amber
MSRP: $175 (2020)
Nose: Dill | Pepper | Rye spice | Lively
Palate: Black peppercorns | Vanilla extract | Rye spice | Mint | Orange zest
Finish: Caramel | Vanilla | Black pepper | Spice lingers
With 1,484 bottles released in total, this is the first straight rye and unfinished rye released by Four Gate. The company has plans to release two different finishes of the same whiskey within the next 12 months. A high rye likely distilled at MGP, it brings forth a lively flavor profile highlighted by citrus and black pepper notes. While a good whiskey in-and-of-itself, this will provide an interesting base for further finishing.
Classification: Straight Rye
Company: Black Button Distilling
Distillery: Black Button Distilling
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 84
Age: NAS
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Color: Light Gold (2020)
MSRP: $75
Nose: Raw rye grain | Oak | Light bubble gum | Youthful yet inviting
Palate: Black peppercorn | Oak | Light rye spice | Hints of vanilla beans | Thin mouthfeel
Finish: Rye Spice | Oak | Light vanilla | Dash of leather | Medium length
First released in 2018, Black Button Empire Rye is considered an Empire Rye representing the “whiskey style of New York State.” Its flavor profile is more on the youthful side which comes across throughout the sip. However, the combination of sweet notes with rye spice make for a good combination that shows good potential for this brand in the future. The bottle being reviewed is from Batch #3.
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Kooper Family Whiskey Co.
Distillery: Undisclosed
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 90
Age: NAS (4 years per company website)
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malt
Color: Rose Gold
MSRP: $40 (2020)
Nose: Caramel | Vanilla | Orange zest | Dark fruits
Palate: Toffee | Gooey caramel | Vanilla | Dark chocolate | Light oak
Finish: Rye spice | Caramel | Chocolate | Seasoned oak | Tobacco | Savory & sweet with a nice backend
The Kooper Family Whiskey Co.’s signature bourbon, this whiskey embodies everything about a traditional bourbon style that bourbon fans will love. While it was likely distilled at MGP based on its mashbill, the years aging in the Texas heat likely had a drastic impact as it tastes much older than the 4 years stated on the company’s website. This approachable bourbon would be hard for any bourbon drinker to dislike.