BARRELL RYE
®
We love intense flavors, so it’s no surprise that we adore rye whiskey. Grown around the world, no other grain delivers a bigger range of flavors or more regional specificity. That translates into singular, characterful whiskeys that form the base of some of our very favorite cocktails.
In a marketplace crowded with rye, ours stand out. All of Barrell’s ryes are created to be greater than the sum of their parts—even though we think their parts are pretty exceptional. We source whiskeys from producers around the world, giving us deep reserves of blending stock accessible to no other producer.
In true Barrell fashion, our limited-edition rye whiskeys showcase unique blends released at cask strength without chill filtration, giving them our signature intensity. With rye, we also enjoy experimenting with distinctive finishes to layer in nuance and complexity—because life is simply too short to settle for anything other than full flavor.
PREVIOUS BATCHES
BATCH 003
A blend of straight Rye Whiskeys
Distilled and aged in Indiana, Tennessee, Poland, and Canada
Selection of 4 to 14-year-old barrels
Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
116.7 proof cask strength bottling
AWARDS:
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San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2020)
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Double Gold
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L.A. Spirits Awards (2020)
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Gold
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FLAVOR NOTES
Rye Batch 003 is a blend of rye whiskeys from Indiana, Poland, Tennessee and Canada, all with distinct personalities and varying ages. We started with Tennessee Rye barrels with caramel and dried fruit notes and added the Polish Rye for its nuttiness and mouthfeel. We then carefully layered in 13-year Canadian Rye to bring out earthy notes of grass, spearmint and apple. The Indiana Rye was the finishing touch to highlight the candied fruit and spiciness you expect from a rye.
Neat
Appearance: A clear auburn with fiery orange highlights.
Nose: Sweet and earthy, like Indian pudding, halva, and shortbread. That theme is carried forward by corn sprouts, clay pots, honey, almonds, brown sugar and graphite weaving in and out. This is buoyed by bright and acidic kiwi, gooseberry, lemon curd and black cherry clafouti.
Palate: The high proof is tempered by rich peanut butter and a moderate sweetness that carries forward notes of molasses, coconut milk, and sweetened green tea. The relatively modest amount of tannin belies the oaky-driven flavors of pine resin, juniper berry, ginger and leather.
Finish: Holds the earthy theme, beginning with gentian, chewed cigar and mesquite smoke. As it grows gentler, some sweet cream and coconut take over and leave a lingering salty note.
With a few drops of spring water
Aromatic spices are unleashed, showing cinnamon churros, mace, and cumin. A deep umami character slowly evolves, resembling red beans and button mushroom. As the alcohol is pushed back on the palate, dessert notes of carrot cake and hefeweizen rush forward before fading out to be replaced by black pepper on the finish.
PRESS FOR BATCH 003
BATCH 002
Rye Whiskey
Distilled in Poland and Indiana
Aged in Poland, Indiana and Kentucky
Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
117.5 proof cask strength bottling
5-years-old
Indiana rye was aged in new charred oak barrels
Polish Rye was aged in new charred #3 oak barrels from World Cooperage
Mash bills: Polish malted rye, Indiana rye and malted barley
FLAVOR NOTES
Rye Batch 002 is our second release that expands on our interpretation of a traditional rye whiskey, combining two very diverse ryes. We selected barrels of a 100% malted rye distilled and aged in Poland for 5 years in new charred #3 oak barrels from World Cooperage. We then blended it with an Indiana high malted barley rye that was aged in Indiana and Kentucky for over 5 years. The Polish Rye is dry, with a rich nutty flavor, and pairs beautifully with the lush Indiana Rye, resulting in a sweet and savory balance of malted chocolate and roasted cashews.
Neat
Appearance: Sienna with polished brass highlights
Nose: The earthy base underscores complex sparks of other aromas. Initial Linzertorte, Ovaltine and s’mores chocolate notes are followed by spicy hints of cardamom, gingerbread and dried currants. With time, violet and orchid floral phrases surface counterbalanced by savory roasted cashew.
Palate: Cinnamon and malt lead a strong, spicy arrival balanced by pops of bright lemon zest, sweet caramel, and soft mulling spices.
Finish: The palate is left with waves of black pepper and seawater salinity in a gently smoldering ball of spices.
With a few drops of spring water
Water pushes back the earth and spice to reveal white currant syrup, muscat wine, and apricot on the nose along with Assam. The balance on the palate shifts sweeter, revealing salt-water taffy, salmiak, chocolate eclair as well as perfumed notes of thyme.
PRESS FOR BATCH 002
BATCH 001
Rye Whiskey
Distilled and aged in Indiana and Tennessee
Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
117 proof cask strength bottling
Aged for 4 1/2 years in American white oak barrels
Mash bill: rye, corn, malted barley
FLAVOR NOTES
We set out to do something different and unconventional with Barrell Rye Batch 001. We combined sweeter malted barley rye barrels with spicier high-rye barrels to create a unique flavor experience. Batch 001 is a rye whiskey that touches on everything we love. It evolves in the glass, punches hard with its proof, and finishes long and lean. Like all our whiskeys, it’s cask strength and never colored, flavored, or diluted.
Luxuriant across the tongue with deep notes of hazelnut brown butter and dark maple syrup spooned over sizzling hot, rye French Toast
Neat
Appearance: Burnished cinnamon hues becoming crystal clear at the edges. Tight swirls of the glass bring further bursts of iridescent raw copper, each swirl stained by streaks of late fall.
Nose: Cinnamon dusted rye toast with a piercing core of crushed minerals, a touch of the 117.0 proof heat reveals itself without overpowering the nose.
Palate: Roasted peaches baked into an opulent custard tart steaming from the oven followed by spice infused malted chocolate and orange zest.
Finish: Air-dried citrus peels dipped in candy sugar gently fading into a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon finish.
With a few drops of spring water
Creamy across the palate, with tightly wound bursts of exotic Caribbean spices peppered over pools of stone fruit.
Tasting Notes by Warren Bobrow, The Cocktail Whisperer
PRESS FOR BATCH 001
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Adventures in Whiskey says Barrell Rye batch 001 is “immensely enjoyable”
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The Bourbon Scout reviews Barrell Bourbon batch 013 and Barrell Rye batch 001
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The Whiskey Wash calls Barrell Rye batch 001 “a fantastic and delicate sipper”
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The Meade Mule says "I’m going to be up front with a spoiler—I love this whiskey"