Enjoy whiskey the way it was before prohibition with this small batch, limited-production spirit. Made from 95% rye, this whiskey is a true American classic perfect for fine cocktails and is completely hand-selected, blended and bottled in Texas.

Dating back to George Washington and the birth of a nation is a proud history of crafting whiskey. Some of the first whiskey distilled in America was Straight Rye. Keeping with the traditions of America’s founding fathers, Buffalo Trace Distillery offers this raw, clear, un-aged and high-proof distillate right off the still. The taste has a hint of spicy rye. This whiskey is known as White Dog. It was later discovered this spirit was perfect for aging and gave way to what we today know as Straight Rye Whiskey. Enjoy this White Dog the way early Americans did more than 200 years ago.

TASTING NOTES

Seriously spicy, with some corn sweetness and lingering earthiness.

Maker Notes

Distilled from a mash bill of 51% Rye and 49% Malted Barley. Big, bold, and unapologetically intense! The Malted Barley really shines through upfront, starting the flavor journey off sweet and creamy with flavor notes of caramel, cereal and what can only be describes as..well..malt. The Rye kicks off the finish with tons of cinnamon spice, big black pepper, combined with smoky flavor notes courtesy of the Malted Barley. Being cask strength only adds to the beautiful intensity of the finish.

Pikesville Rye traces its Maryland roots all the way back to the Civil War from 1861-1865, the Civil War drew thousands of outsiders to Maryland, outsiders who would grow accustomed to the state's particular style of rye whiskey. After the war's end, these people returned to their homes with a lingering thirst for Maryland rye, and a few pioneering businessmen with the help of a recently-improved railway infrastructure began to produce and sell this style of whiskey all across the country. One such producer was the L. Winand and Brothers Distillery, which was founded in Scott's Level (just northwest of Baltimore), Maryland in 1895. The distillery began producing its flagship product Pikesville Rye, named after the adjacent town shortly thereafter, choosing the name because Scott's Level sounded too much like Scotch. After the passage of Prohibition, L. Winand and Brothers Distillery was forced to close, and though subsequent owners Pikesville continued to distill the whisky in Maryland until 1972, the brand was ultimately sold to Heaven Hill in 1982, making it the last-standing Maryland rye whiskey. Produced today at the famous Bernheim Distillery in Kentucky, Pikeville has maintained its popular status in Baltimore after all these years. Crafted by Heaven Hills Co-Master Distiller Denny Potter, Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a mash of rye, corn and barley, and evokes the spicy character of traditional Maryland rye whiskies. To set it apart from other ryes, I selected barrels at a minimum of six years old from high storage and bottled it at a proof that allows the most character from the barrel to come through without overpowering the spicy grain notes, says Potter. As a result, Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey has a pale copper color and an aroma of dark cocoa and burnt oak. The palate is filled with layers of honey, clover and white chocolate, and leads to a finish accented by vanilla bean, butterscotch candy, maple syrup and caramel. Pikesville Straight Rye Whisky won a Double Gold at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and earned 95 points at the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

"This 13-year breaks the mold, as it is one of the oldest rye whiskeys available today. The maturity it has achieved while aging is quite obvious when you take the first sip. It’s a truly unique and rewarding rye whiskey experience." -Paul Pacult

TASTING NOTES

A soft nose of chestnuts, spice, vanilla and fruit. Features flavors of cocoa, vanilla, spice, and white pepper. A long, warm and complex finish with caramel and spice combined with dry oak.

AWARDS (Most Recent Rewards)

2005 Bronze Medal - Whisky Magazine

2003 Bronze Medal - International Spirits Challenge

2000 Gold Medal - San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Elijah Pepper began distilling whiskey at the dawn of the American Revolution and during the War of 1812, he built the first log cabin distillery in Versailles, Kentucky. Eventually, he passed the family business on to his son, Oscar, and then on to his grandson, James E. Pepper. Colonel James E. Pepper was one of Kentucky's first Bourbon aristocrats he raced thoroughbreds in the Kentucky Derby, traveled in a private rail car and made famous the Old Fashioned cocktail. "Pepper Whisky is an old fashioned whisky, made in the old time way from a formula used for more than 100 years by three generations of the Pepper family," wrote James, in an advertisement dated August 22, 1887. "We claim not only to make the oldest but absolutely the purest and best brand of whisky made in America, and we invite comparison with any whisky of any age." In 1958, after the whiskey industry fell on hard times, the James E. Pepper Distillery was forced to close its doors. During its tenure, Pepper Whiskey, or "Old 1776 Whiskey" as it became known as, was a favorite of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant, and was preferred by Daniel Webster, a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts. Today the re-launched brand is back in full force. "We did extensive research and spent years collecting and analyzing full, preserved bottles of original Pepper Whiskey," says Amir Peay. They even acquired a letter written by Pepper himself, detailing the exact mash bill and recipe used to create Old 1776. "We wanted to pay homage to Pepper's legacy and do our best to recreate the original Pepper Whiskey something that was part of American history," he says. The limited-quantity Single Barrel Rye Whiskey contains some of their best barrels. Crafted from a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, this straight rye is double oaked, meaning it goes for a second round of maturation in heavily toasted Kentucky oak barrels that have been air-dried for 2 years. It's a rich and complex 4-year-old rye that is bottled at 110 proof.

Lovingly handcrafted and aged in Kentucky, Pinhook Bourbon was established in 2014 and has produced several small batch bottlings in their newly restored Castle & Key distillery in Frankfort, KY, to much critical acclaim. What makes their line unique is the brand's three distinctive characteristics: its limited availability, mass appeal and strong ties to Kentucky's legacy of horse racing. Each release of Pinhook Bourbon is named after a thoroughbred owned by Bourbon Lane Stable. The label also features the horses racing records on their brand's website. Every fall Pinhook releases a new bourbon and rye, each of which is connected to a promising young thoroughbred horse. The whiskey in each release is the best expression of our barrels at that moment in time, and we blend and proof each release to be as unique as the horse on the label. The result is an annual vintage of Pinhook Bourbon and Pinhook Rye that become instant collectibles. The Rye Humor release is the second edition of straight rye whiskeys produced by Pinhook. The traditional mashbill has over 3 years of barrel age and was blended and cut to 97 proof by Sean Josephs at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY. This straight rye whiskey has a perfumed nose of elderflower, aromatic wood, and preserved lemon which leads to a palate of dried papaya and caramel. Toasted vanilla, candied black licorice and honey linger, balancing an elegant yet powerful rye.

Tequila Finish: We finished our straight rye whiskey in Extra Añejo Tequila barrels. The result is remarkably unique tequila finished whiskey with notes of agave and vanilla on the nose and honey, peppercorn and orange citrus to taste. Pairing tequila and whiskey is always a risky move, but this was a risk worth the reward.

Tasting Notes

PALATE: Rich agave and sweet notes of honey paired with bitter orange, dried fig with floral notes. Spicy peppercorn creates a lasting finish.

PROOF: 98 (49% ABV)

AGE: 4 – 5 Years

Our 100% Rye Mashbill began with Elbon Rye from Northwest Texas accompanied by crystal, chocolate and roasted rye. Driven by constant curiosity, we distilled our Rye in our copper pot stills, bringing new subtlety and perspective to our approach.

Tasting Notes

NOSE: soft charred oak, black tea and cracked pepper open up to fruit and chocolate covered cherries

TASTE: creamy buttery toffee, building to peppery spice notes with hints of coffee and nuts

FINISH: peanut butter and dark chocolate

This is the newest release in our Reserve Series line for Spring 2023. Our craft requires careful aging and thoughtful blending, and this 8-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey embodies the power of both. After aging our rye in new charred American white oak barrels for at least 8 years, our distillers crafted this complex rye with notes of dried cherries, clove, and smoked vanilla on the nose. A perfect balance of sweet and spice, this rye whiskey has a bold palate with flavors of candied ginger, sweet orange, molasses, and nut brittle.

This bottle had an original release in 2021 which earned a Gold Medal from the ASCOT Awards and a Double Gold from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Our Sagamore Spirit Reserve Series celebrates the legacy of Maryland distilling, with an unyielding focus on excellence from start to finish. Interested in future releases? Sign-up to become a Whiskey Thief!

This product just started shipping to all markets where Sagamore Spirit is sold so updates are pending to search for it on our Find Rye.

Tasting Notes

PALATE: Candied ginger, sweet orange, molasses, and nut brittle

PROOF: 111.4 (55.7% ABV)

AGE: 8 Years

Distilled from a traditional rye mash bill consisting of 51% rye and 49% corn. A high percentage of corn adds a nice rich sweetness that balances out the flavor notes of Rye’s big black pepper and cinnamon spice. Creating a flavor profile that starts off creamy, rich with fruit and candy flavor notes that has a big, bold, complex spicy finish that lingers for an eternity.

Fortune, superb taste, and hustle lead to the discovery of aged Rye Whiskey stocks in Alberta, Canada. Escorted to the farm, finished, and hand-bottled, this Rye was rescued from its cringeworthy misuse as a blending whiskey. We pulled this diamond out of the rough and bottled it on its own, freeing it to fulfill its destiny as the most awarded Rye Whiskey in the world.

Peppery and floral notes overflow in this white whiskey, which some compare to aquavit. It is a traditional American spirit. George Washington made it in his distillery, and it was common in the New World before the rise of bourbon after the Whiskey Rebellion. Our unaged White Rye is perfect when sipped neat but also excellent over ice or in classic and contemporary cocktails. Barely touching the barrel before being bottled, this is the true essence of rye without being overshadowed by oak.

A CRAFT BEER PIONEER SETS HIS SIGHTS ON SPIRITS

The original Anchor Distilling Company was established in 1993 by Fritz Maytag, the same beverage visionary who sparked the craft beer movement with his purchase of Anchor Brewing in 1965. Maytag had rescued the struggling brewery and its iconic steam beer, and after several decades of exclusively producing beer, Maytag saw an opportunity to expand into the distillation of spirits.

THE RETURN OF POT-DISTILLED WHISKEY TO THE UNITED STATES
Fritz’s vision of a rye whiskey revival was fueled by the bold realization that there were no pot-distilled whiskeys being made legally in America at the time. Finding inspiration in the rye whiskeys of America’s past and the great single malt whiskeys of Scotland, Fritz gathered a small team to begin top secret research and experimentation in the distillery. The first whiskey went into barrel in 1994, and the distillery soon began producing three rye whiskeys under Fritz’s guidance, all pot-distilled spirit from a mash of 100% malted rye.

PIONEER IN CRAFT WHISKEY

Old Potrero is an attempt to recreate the original whiskey of America, and marks the return of pot-distilled whiskey in the United States. It’s distilled in a small copper pot still at the Hotaling & Co. Distillery on San Francisco’s Potrero Hill from a mash of 100% rye malt, with rye being the grain of choice for America’s first distillers.

MASTER DISTILLER: BRUCE JOSEPH

In 2010, Fritz officially passed the torch to Bruce Joseph, who is now the Master Distiller of Old Potrero. Fritz and Bruce had worked alongside each other since the first barrels were laid down in 1994. The whiskey has been historically distilled in small copper pot stills at the Hotaling & Co. Distillery in San Francisco.

In Bruce's own words: "Old Potrero new packaging and bottle embody the boldness of a city that's resilient, creative and richly historic. Our Straight Rye Whiskey is now aged a minimum of six years to ensure exquisite quality and taste.

OLD POTRERO SINGLE BARREL RESERVE

Aged in extra fine grain American Oak. The wood was air-dried for 24 months and the barrels were fully toasted and then charred by hand over an oak fire. The mash of 100% malted rye was fermented for four days and then double distilled in traditional copper pot whiskey stills.

PURE GOLD BLUE RUN GOLDEN RYE WHISKEY

Blue Run small batch Golden Rye Whiskey is Blue Run’s inaugural Rye expression. Named for both the distinct color of the choice grains that were used in the creation process and the resulting product, Golden Rye was awarded a Gold medal in 2021 by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

A blend of remarkable straight rye whiskeys combined in perfect ratio and finished in premium bourbon barrels creating a genuinely unique balanced rye whiskey. This delightfully herbaceous and citrusy spirit smooths into a sizzle that warms the mouth before melting into a vanilla sweetness that hangs toward the back of the palate.

TASTING NOTES

COLOR: Honey gold

NOSE: Bouquet of fresh dill, coriander, green peppercorn, and deep caramel

PALATE: Full-bodied with notes of cinnamon and orchard fruits

Maker Notes

Unblended and perfectly handcrafted straight whiskeys, made grain-to-glass using local north Texas grain. Each of our UNBENDT Straight Whiskeys has been aged a minimum of four years in standard 53 gallon bourbon barrels, resulting in rich, flavorful and unique authentic Texas whiskey. Every drop is made in small batches at BENDT Distilling Co. in Lewisville, Texas.

Unblended. Grain-to-Glass. Peppery & warm.
Made using local north Texas grain and made grain-to-glass at BENDT Distilling Co. in Lewisville, Texas, this unique rye has been slow-aged in the Texas heat for over five and a half years (2023 release). The grain bill includes Elbon Rye, Triticale Hybrid Grain, Marris Otter Malted Barley and Naked Streaker Oats. Aged 5+ years in a 53 gallon standard bourbon barrel at a 3.5 char level.

DESCRIPTION

Complex, full and spicy

COLOUR: Antique gold

AROMA: Balanced with toasted grains, gentle wood notes and a tantalizing hint of sweet vanilla

TASTE: Complex balance of rye spiciness, caramel and oak notes, warm and creamy

FINISH: Long clean finish with hints of clove, oak and vanilla

Three barrel small batch blends (all numbered sequentially). Blends vary 6-8 years of age. Always bottled at 108 proof. 600 - 750 Bottles average batch yield. 95% Rye, 5% malted barley. Originally distilled in Indiana, Finished, blended and bottled in Lexington, KY. Each blend is unique.

Based in Frisco, Texas, Devils River Whiskey was founded by Mike Cameron, co-founder of Rebecca Creek Whiskey, and president of the Texas Distilled Spirits Association. Their 90-proof bourbon is crafted from the pure Devils River spring waters. The illustrious Texas Ranger John Coffee Hays was one of the first explorers to come across it and named this impressive waterway the "Devils River" in 1840. Nowadays the naturally-filtered limestone spring water is considered the purest water in Texas. In college, Cameron would take frequent trips to the feisty Southwest Texas river, the tributary of the Del Rio that would inspire the name of his new whiskey label as well as provide a pure foundation for the whiskey. Devils River whiskey is distilled using a signature method - traditional copper pot stills designed for distilling complex, flavorful, dark spirits. Devils River Rye Whiskey is their Bourbon's spicier brother. Crafted as Devils River's answer to the recent cry for more rye whiskeys, this small-batch affair is also their way of paying tribute to American whiskey. It consists of a mash of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% barley, which results in an exquisitely balanced taste profile with prominent spice, as well as notes of vanilla, apples, and pepper. The spice balances perfectly with the sweetness of honey and maple and brings some undertones of wood and pepper.